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AUGUST    1949 


Above:  the  new  Beacon-laurelcrest  Ward  Chapel, 
located  at  Romona  Ave.  and  Twenty-first  East, 
designed  by  Woods  and  Woods,  architects,  and 
built  by  Jensen  Brothers  Construction  Company. 
Constructed   of   No,    12   red  stretcher  facing   brick. 


EXPLORING 


By  DR.  FRANKLIN  S.  HARRIS,  JR. 

A  new  chlorine  compound  can  be 
suspended  in  a  bag  in  the  toilet 
reservoir  which  by  treating  the  flushing 
water  will  keep  the  bowl  free  from 
stains  and  bacteria  for  six  months 
with  one  chemical  change. 

HThe  Sandoe  bridge  in  Sweden  has 
the  longest  concrete  arch  in  the 
world  with  866  feet  long  main  arch 
of  reinforced  concrete.  This  3,200- 
yard-long  bridge  was  opened  in  1943 
and  carries  the  highway  across  the 
Angerman  river  on  the  road  between 
Stockholm  and  Haparanda. 

A  new  deodorant  called  "Metazene" 
which  destroys  odors  by  combining 
with  the  sulfur  and  nitrogen  com- 
pounds which  are  responsible  for  so 
many  unpleasant  odors,  instead  of 
masking  them,  is  undergoing  final 
tests.  The  compound  which  is  non- 
poisonous  and  non-inflammable  and 
non-corrosive  can  be  sprayed  into 
the  air  in  a  liquid  mist  under  pressure 
from   freon   gas. 

Tron  nuts  are  being  made  in  Europe 
by  compacting  powdered  iron 
around  a  threaded  insert,  which  when 
unscrewed  forms  threads.  The  nut  of 
powdered  iron  is  then  heated  to  bond 
the  powder  together. 

Dole  beans  require  850  hours  of 
man  labor  an  acre  to  produce  and 
harvest  in  Utah,  the  most  of  any  crop. 
Onions  require  four  hundred,  tomatoes 
two  hundred,  sweet  corn  one  hundred, 
and  alfalfa  about  twenty-five  hours 
of  labor. 

Tn  some  flies  the  increase  of  metab- 
olism in  flight  over  that  at  rest  may 
be  100  times,  for  the  hawk  moth  and 
bee  about  40  times,  and  with  man  in  a 
state  of  extreme  exertion  10  to  14  times 
that  of  normal  resting,  but  man  can 
only  maintain  this  for  a  few  seconds  at 
a  time.  The  flight  muscles  of  flying 
insects  twitch  rapidly  160  to  200  times 
a  second  in  blowflies,  300  to  400  in 
some  bees  and  wasps.  A  deft  pianist 
cannot  contact  the  muscles  on  the  hand 
more  than  10  times  a  second.  For  the 
hawk  moth  to  fly,  a  body  temperature 
of  86°  F.  in  the  thorax  is  necessary 
and  so  they  have  to  warm  up  by  vibrat- 
ing their  wings  before  trying  to  take 
off,  in  flight  the  temperature  will  ex- 
ceed 104°  F. 


DOUBLE  YOUR 
MONEY  BACK 

If  Town  House  Cookies  are 

not   the    best  Chocolate 

Drop    Cookies    you    ever 

tasted! 

We  make  this  amazing  offer  be- 
cause we  believe  that  TOWN 
HOUSE  Chocolate  Drop  Cookies 
are  the  finest  that  money  can  buy. 
They're  made  with  loads  of  choc- 
olate drops,  fresh  pecan  nuts,  lots 
of  eggs,  and  they're  the  only 
Chocolate  Drop  Cookies  on  the 
market  containing  pure  creamery 
butter.  Nothing  but  the  finest  ever 
goes  into  TOWN  HOUSE  Choco- 
late Drop  Cookies  by  Purity. 

If  you  are  not  completely  satis- 
fied, just  return  the  unused  por- 
tion of  the  box  to  Purity  Biscuit 
Co.,  Salt  Lake  or  Phoenix  —  with 
the  name  of  your  dealer,  and  we 
will  give  you  double  your  money 
back,  plus  postage. 

Your  grocer  has  these  deli- 
cious Chocolate  Drop  Cookies 
in  the  gleaming  white  pack- 
age —  fresh   from   our   ovens. 


PURITY  BISCUIT  COMPANY       •       Salt  Lake  -  Phoenix 


AUGUST  1949 


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"THE     VOICE    OF     THE    CHURCH" 


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1949 


VOLUME  52 
NUMBER    8 


OFFICIAL  ORGAN  OF  THE  PRIESTHOOD  QUORUMS,  MUTUAL   IMPROVEMENT  ASSOCIATIONS,  DEPARTMENT  OF  EDUCATION, 
MUSIC  COMMITTEE,  WARD  TEACHERS,  AND  OTHER  AGENCIES  OF  THE  CHURCH  OF  JESUS  CHRIST  OF  LATTER-DAY  SAINTS 

The  Editor's  Page 

Blessings  for  Youth George  Albert  Smith  493 

Church  Features 

Testimony:  A  Sacred  Gift J.  Reuben  Clark,  Jr,  495 

The  Meaning  of  Peter's  Confession — II Sidney  B.  Sperry  496 

Mission  to  Polynesia — -V Doyle  L.  Green  505 

Evidences  and  Reconciliations:   CXXXVII — Is  Religion  Needed  in 

an  Age  of  Science? John  A,  Widtsoe  513 

It  Can  Be  Done 484  pointments  518 

The  Church  Moves  On 485      Melchizedek   Priesthood 520 


Departing   Missionaries,  April  and 
June   486 

Y.  M.  M.  I.  A.    Honor    Certificates 

Awarded  Forty  Scouters 488 

June  Conference  in  Picture 490 

Y.  M.  M.  I.  A.  General  Board  Ap- 


No-Liquor-Tobacco  Column 52 1 

Presiding  Bishopric's  Page 522 

Genealogy:       Books     of     Remem- 
brance, David  R.  Roberts 529 

This  Month  with  Church  Publica- 
tions   543 


Special  Features 


"Youth  That  is  Clean" Marilyn  Oliver  494 

Frederick  Pingree  494 
In  the  Good  Old  Summertime! — Let's  Talk  It  Over.... Mary  Brentnall  499 
Free  Agency  and  Social  Organization — The  Church  and  Modern 

Society — Part  VII G.  Homer  Durham  501 

The  Spoken  Word  from  Temple  Square Richard  L.  Evans  509 

Exploring    the   Universe,    Franklin             Homing:    Safety  is  Only  Common 
S.  Harris,  Jr 481  Sense,   Barney  Schwartz 514 


These  Times — Faith,  Fear,  and  the 
Battle  of  Ideas,  G.  Homer  Dur- 
ham     483 

On  the  Bookrack  511 


Cook's     Corner,     Josephine     B. 

Nichols    5 1 6 

Good  Hostesses  Remember  Jun- 
ior, Helen  C.  Hicks.— 515 

Your  Page  and  Ours 544 


Editorials 

Youth  in  Action Marba  C»  Josephson  512 

Era  Writers'  Conference Marba  C.  Josephson  512 

Stories,  Poetry 

O  Ye  of  Little  Faith Marilyn  Yarn  503 

The  Fort  on  the  Firing  Line — XI Albert  R.  Lyman  506 


The   House   of   Wisdom,   Clarence 

Edwin  Flynn  488 

Nocturne,  Beulah  Huish  Sadleir 490 

Poetry  Page  492 

The    Deepest    Well,     Dorothy    J. 
Roberts    498 


August,  Iris  W.  Schow 500 

The  Artist,  Arthur  Wallace  Peach..502 

Rendezvous,  J.  Fabian  Giroux 515 

Poem,  Ruby  Zagoren 519 

Betrothed,  Elizabeth  Reeves  Hum- 
phreys    526 


Executive  and  Editorial  Offices: 

50  North  Main  Street,  Salt  Lake  City  1,  Utah 
Copyright   1949  by  Mutual   Funds,   Inc.,  a  Corporation  of  the  Young 
Men's  Mutual  Improvement  Association  of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ 
of  Latter-day  Saints.   All  rights  reserved.    Subscription  price,  $2.50  a 
year,  in  advance;    foreign  subscription,  $3.00  a  year,  in  advance;    25c 

single  copy. 
Entered  at  the  Post  Office,  Sait  Lake  City,   Utah,   as  second-class 
matter.  Acceptance  for  mailing  at  special  rate  of  postage  provided  for 

in  section  1 103,  Act  of  October  1917,  authorized  July  2,  1918. 

The  Improvement  Era  is  not  responsible  for  unsolicited  manuscripts, 

but  welcomes  contributions. 

All  manuscripts  must  be  accompanied  by  sufficient  postage  for  delivery  and  return. 

Change  of  Address: 
Fifteen  days'  notice  required  for  change  of  address.    When  ordering  a  change,  please  include 
address  slip  from  a  recent  issue  of  the  magazine.  Address  changes  cannot  be  made  unless  the  old 

address  as  well  as  the  new  one  is  included. 

482 


-Photograph   by  Gladys  M.  Relyea 
Summertime  at  the  park 


The  Cover 


HPhe  rustle  of  the  corn  in  the  mild 
-*■  August  breezes  and  its  golden 
goodness  typify  the  ease  and  beauty 
that  endear  this  last  of  the  summer 
months.  This  photograph  is  by  Fritz 
Henle  from  Monkmeyer  and  was 
adapted  to  cover  use  by  Charles 
Jacobsen. 


Editors 

George  Albert  Smith 

John  A.  Widtsoe 
Managing  Editor 

Richard  L.  Evans 
Assistant  Managing  Editor 

Doyle  L.  Green 

Associate  Editor 

Marba  C.  Josephson 

General  Manager 

Elbert  R.  Curtis 

Associate  Manager 

Bertha  S.  Reeder 

Business  Manager 

John  D.  Giles 

Editorial  Associates 

Elizabeth  J.  Moffitt 
Albert  L.  Zobell,  Jr. 
Advertising  Director 

Verl  F.  Scott 

National  Advertising  Representatives 

Edward  S.  Townsend, 

San  Francisco  and  Los  Angeles 

Dougan  and  Bolle, 

Chicago  and  New  York 

Member,  Audit  Bureau  of  Circulations 


THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


FAITH,  FEAR,  AND  THE  BATTLE  OF  IDEAS 


By  DR.  G.  HOMER  DURHAM 

Head  of  Political  Science  Department, 
University  of  Utah 


"\17hen  the  history  of  postwar  Ameri- 
ca, 1945-49,  is  written,  it  may 
be  recorded  that  the  most  widely  ad- 
vertised item  in  the  United  States  was 
communism.  Every  metropolitan  news- 
paper gives  it  large  free  space  in  the 
news  columns.  Every  columnist  and 
editorial  writer  fills  his  column  with 
warnings  and  exhortations.  From  pul- 
pit, radio,  luncheon  club,  and  intimate 
social  circle  issues  a  never-ending 
stream  of  discussion.  I  think  back  on 
my  personal  missionary 
experience.  If  only, 
somehow,  we  lonely 
missionaries  from 

"Utah"  could  have  pro- 
duced such  publicity  for 
our  cause.  If  the  60,000  to 
75,000  communist  "mis- 
sionaries" in  the  United 
States  are  human,  how 
they  must  exult  in  the  daily  features, 
the  free  advertising,  their  movement 
receives! 

As  a  result,  the  nature,  tenets,  and 
personalities  of  Russian-inspired  inter- 
national communism  are  probably  bet- 
ter known  to  the  rising  generation  than 
the  nature,  tenets,  and  personalities  of 
the  Christian  religion,  democracy,  or 
of  scientific  development.  It  is  possible 
that  only  Joe  Palooka,  Dick  Tracy, 
and  Lil'  Abner,  their  wills  and  ways, 
are  as  commonplace  as  the  goings  and 
comings  of  Stalin,  Molotov,  Vishinsky, 
et  al.  This  may  not  be  actually  true, 
but  the  net  impact  of  what  daily  fills 
the  air  is  certain  to  have  some  impres- 
sion. 

'"Together  with  this  phenomenal  pub- 
licity  has  grown  an  atmosphere  of 
fear.  Prominent  speakers  warn  their 
women's  club  audiences  about  the 
"danger"  to  "American  principles." 
Men  and  women  in  high  places  and 
low  are  suspected  of  "dangerous" 
thoughts.  No  one  can  discount  the 
dangers  of  the  Russian-inspired  ma- 
terialist faith  that  is  called  communism. 
But  thinking  citizens  may  well  question 
whether  fear,  hysteria,  loyalty  investi- 
gations, and  fulsome  oaths  are  the  way 
to  combat  such  a  menace.  In  any 
event,  totalitarian  methods  should  be 
avoided  in  coping  with  the  totalitarian 
menace.  We  should  remember  the 
futility  of  the  Inquisition. 

HP  he    Russian    state    of    Lenin    and 
Stalin  appeared  as  the  first  one- 
party  totalitarian  state  of  the  twentieth 

AUGUST  1949 


century.  Those  who  refused  to  think 
as  the  party  directed  were  beaten, 
killed,  exiled,  or  frozen  by  fear  into 
submissive  silence.  It  is  the  history 
of  religious  and  political  thought  that 
no  man  can  be  forced  to  think  an- 
other's thoughts  against  his  will.  He 
may  be  persuaded,  bribed,  and  beaten. 
But  if  he,  like  John  Huss,  St.  Paul, 
Galileo,  or  Joan  of  Arc,  insists  on  the 
integrity  of  individual  conscience, 
death  itself  will  not  change  his  view. 
The  founders  of  the  Church  of  Jesus 
Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  well  re- 
membered this  experience.  On  August 
17,  1835,  they  adopted  a  declaration 
of  belief  which  stated: 


We  believe  that  no  gov- 
ernment can  exist  in  peace, 
except  such  laws  are 
framed  and  held  inviolate 
as  will  secure  to  each  indi- 
vidual the  free  exercise  of 
conscience.  ...  (D.  &  C. 
134:2.) 


Governments,  whether 
of  church  or  state,  can 
exist  where  freedom  of  conscience  is 
violated — as  witness  the  modern  world 
scene.  But  they  do  not  exist  in  peace. 
They  are  held  together  by  fear,  regi- 
mentation, thought  control,  and  all  the 
arts  of  propaganda,  secret  police,  and 
neighbor  spying  upon  neighbor.  This 
is  not  peace.  Persecution  against  con- 
science cannot  be  tolerated.  From 
Roger  Williams  down,  this  has  been 
the  American  inheritance.  It  may  be 
a  hard  thought  to  some,  but  freedom 
of  conscience,  even  for  communists 
and  their  ilk,  must  be  maintained  in 
America.  This  does  not  mean  that 
communists  are  free  to  act  contrary 
to  the  interests  of  law  and  good 
order.  But  in  the  long  run  it  is 
as  important  for  a  communist  to  have 
freedom  of  conscience  in  America 
as  it  is  for  a  non-communist  to  have 
freedom  of  conscience  in  Russia.  The 
cause  of  freedom  in  the  world  will  not 
be  served  should  American  government 
suspend  the  Constitution,  and  force 
everyone  to  think  alike. 

HPhe  real  menace  attached  to  current 
communism,  is  the  atmosphere 
of  fear.  No  amount  of  patriotic 
shouting  about  Americanism,  no  witch 
hunts  through  educational  institu- 
tions and  public  employments  will 
compensate  for  the  absence  of  a  vital, 
living  faith  and  atone  for  the  presence 
of  fear.  The  combination  of  fear  and 
successful  communist         publicity 

(whether    favorable     or    unfavorable 


[Concluded  on  page  510) 


FOR  FROZEN  MEATS 


AND  GAME 


lock© 


WESTERN  LOCKERAP  locks  in 
flavorful  juices  and  natural  color  of 
frozen  meats,  fish,  fowl  and  game.  Guard 
your  choice  cuts  against  taste-robbing 
moisture  loss  with  the  waxed  paper 
wrap  designed  expressly  for  this  purpose 
...in  home  freezers  or  rented  lockers. 

For  plus -perfect  protection  for  your 
freezer -stored  meats,  WESTERN 
LOCKERAP  has  added  20%  more  pro- 
tective  coating.  This  means  added  assur- 
ance that  your  fresh  meats  will  retain 
natural  juices  and  color... WESTERN 
LOCKERAP  now  seals  more  securely 
than  ever  before  against  flavor-stealing 
sub-zero  air.  You  save  as  it  seals. 

WESTERN  LOCKERAP  is  now  available  al 
your  grocer's  or  locker  plant  in  buff  and  the 
new  pearly-white  full  bleached  roll. 


FREE  colorful  guide  to  help 
you  prepare,  protect  and 

preserve  your  quick-frozen 
foods.  Ask  for  it  at  your 
grocer's  or  locker  plant. 


Roll  contains 
ISO  leet  ol 
WESTERN 
LOCKERAP. 
Choice  of  IS, 
20  oi  24  inch 
widths. 


I 


\. 


WESTERN    WAXED    PAPER    CO. 

PORTLAND     0     SAN  LEANDRO 

LOS  ANGELES 


483 


DONT 
DRIVE 


aS^rw 


NO  TRAFFIC  TROUBLES 
NO  PARKING  PROBLEMS 

Frequent  service,  handy  down- 
town depots,  and  freedom  from 
driving  tension  make  shopping 
or  business  trips  a  pleasure  by 
Greyhound.  You  can  go  and  re- 
turn the  same  day.  The  low  fare** 
save  extra  dollars  for  shopping! 
Relax  in  perfect  comfort  .  .  .  en- 
joy sightseeing,  or  visiting  with 
fellow  passengers.  See  your  Grey- 
hound Agent  about  departure 
times  on  your  next  trip! 


.   OiVEjl^LA  NO    :;■:■,  .'-■■>■<,-  ->■.' 

GREYHOUND 


Operated  by  INTERSTATE  TRANSIT  LINES 
and  UNION   PACIFIC  STAGES,  INC. 


Throughout  four  mountain  states 
the  KOLOB-  seal  is  the  sign  of 
friendly  and  competent  insurance 
service.  One  of  our  more  than  300 
agents  is  a  fellow  townsman  of 
yours  .  .  .  make  his  acquaintance 
today  in  the  interest  of  wise  insur- 
ance planning  and  protection  that 
really  pays. 

Fire — Theft — Automotive 

Contract  Bonds — Marine 

Liability — Surety  Bonds 

A  General  Insurance  Agency 


M  Men  and  Gleaners  are,  reading  from  left  to  right,  front  row:  Ruth  Ann  khees,  Elna  Dawn  Kirk, 
Joyce  Dickemore,  Ferol  Cragun,  Melba  Johns,  Laura  Harris.  Second  row:  Odeal  Kirk,  M  Men  leader;  Nanette 
Budge,  Gwenda  Cragun,  Mildred  Cragun,  Gleaner  leader;  Delores  Bernett,  Gleana  Marriot,  LaVern  Humphreys, 
Vila  Halliday,  Shirley  Gerard,  Ilia  Stanly,  Ida  June  Summers,  Maurece  Thinnes.  Third  row:  Richard  Cragun, 
Delbert  Dickemore,  Bob  Barett,  Aldine  Case,  Levi  Cragun,  Luan  Ferrin,  Sylvia  Bernett,  Quin  Call,  Barbara 
Tarren,  and  Elmer  Bailey. 

IT  CAN  BE  DONE 


330   Judge  Bldg.  Phone   4-8451 

Salt  Lake  City.  Utah 


The  M  Men  and  Gleaners  of 
Pleasant  View  Ward,  Ben  Lo- 
mond  Stake,  have  purchased  and 
installed  a  new  electric  organ  in 
their  chapel.  How  they  did  it  is 
marvelous  to  learn,  for  it  sounds 
as  if  they  had  the  best  time  ever. 
Here  is  what  one  of  their  M  Men, 
Luan  Ferrin,  stated: 

For  as  long  as  I  can  remember  in 
the  P.  V.  Ward,  there  has  been  an 
old  standby.  This  old  standby  was 
a  reed  organ  which  in  the  early 
days  of  our  ward  was  the  pride  and 
joy  of  the  people. 

It  was  not  a  cheap  organ  but 
one  of  the  finest  anywhere.  Down 
through  the  years  when  different 
men  were  called  in  to  tune  the 
organ,  they  always  remarked  on 
the  fine  workmanship  and  the  clear 
tone  quality  of  this  old  masterpiece. 
It  served  as  a  center  for  religious 
activities  and  was  loved  by  all, 
young  and  old  alike. 

However,  like  all  good  servants, 
age  caught  up  with  it.  The  organ 
found  it  increasingly  hard  to  satisfy 
the  people,  for  along  with  other 
advancements  came  bigger  and 
more  beautiful  instruments.  The 
M  Men  and  Gleaners  of  our  ward, 
facing  a  long  winter,  felt  the  need 
of  a  project  that  would  keep  up  the 
interest  of  the  group. 

Elder  Odeal  Kirk,  who  several 
years  ago  moved  to  our  ward  from 
Magna,  Utah,  is  M  Men  director. 
Sister  Mildred  Cragun  has  been 
guiding  the  Gleaners. 

Elder  Kirk  suggested  that  the 
M  Men  and  Gleaners  unite  on  the 
project  and  purchase  a  new  electric 
organ.  The  group  literally  flew  at 
the  idea.  Committees  were  ap- 
pointed;   meetings   were   held;    and 


484 


a  general  busy-ness  stirred  the 
group.  Members  who  before  sel- 
dom had  come  were  now  on  the 
job  every  week.  Some  folk  dis- 
couraged us,  and  some  openly  op- 
posed our  project,  but  our  deter- 
mination was  only  strengthened  by 
the  opposition,  and  several  weeks 
before  Christmas  we  had  our  first 
event.  This  affair  was  in  the  form 
of  a  country  store.  A  widely  known 
entertainer,  J.  P.  Herrick,  consented 
to  auction  our  produce.  After  we 
sold  everything  from  chickens  to 
baled  hay,  we  found  we  had  taken 
in  $700.00.  It  was  a  very  happy 
group  that  planned  the  next  event. 

We  decided  to  have  a  vaudeville 
and  began  to  sell  tickets,  but  the 
bishop  told  us  we  shouldn't,  so  we 
turned  back  the  $200.00,  we  had 
collected,  and  told  the  people  who 
came  to  give  what  they  wanted.  We 
took  in  $250.00.  Then  we  had 
picture  shows  which  netted  us 
$120.00.  We  held  food  sales— and 
reached  a  new  high  for  money  col- 
lected. 

This  was  not  only  a  good  project 
for  the  M  Men  and  Gleaners,  but 
it  unified  the  ward  also,  keeping 
all  the  ward  members  interested. 

Ctrangely  enough,  this  is  not  a 
large  ward;  its  membership  is  444 
— which  makes  it  one  of  the  small 
wards.  But  the  M  Men  and  Glean- 
ers had  the  will,  and  they  found  the 
way.  The  project  was  commenced 
December  11,  1948,  and  was  com- 
pleted March  29,  1949.  On  May 
8,  1949,  Roy  Darley,  assistant 
Tabernacle  organist,  played  a  recital 
on  the  new  organ  to  the  satisfaction 
and  uplift  of  the  entire  ward. 

— M.  C.  /. 

THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


THE  CHURCH  MOVES  ON 

-^v  <UJau  Jo  <=JJau  L^kronoloau  Ksf  L^fuirch  (L-uentd 


JUNE  1949 

C    The  Santa  Cruz  Branch  chapel  of  the  Northern  Cali- 
"    fornia  Mission  was  dedicated  by  Mission  President 
German  E.  Ellsworth. 

o    William  B.  Smart  of  Salt  Lake  City  was  appointed 
0    to  the  Y.M.M.I.A.  general  board. 

Mrs.  Phyllis  Hawkes  Shorten  of  Ogden,  Utah,  was 
appointed  to  the  Primary  Association  general  board. 


9 


After  careful  consideration  the  decision  was  reached 
that  the  Y.M.M.I.A.  would  continue  to  maintain 
minimum  age  requirements  for  Boy  Scouts  and  Explorers 
at  twelve  and  fifteen.  On  May  24,  the  national  council 
had  given  the  various  sponsoring  organizations  the  option 
of  lowering  the  age  requirements  to  eleven  and  fourteen. 

I  A  President  Oscar  A.  Kirkham  of  the  First  Council 
-*-  "  of  the  Seventy  addressed  nearly  four  hundred  youths 
of  the  stakes  and  mission  in  the  northwest,  at  Portland, 
Oregon.    Sessions  of  the  youth  conference  continued  June 

II  and  12. 

1  O  Elder  Henry  D.  Moyle  of  the  Council  of  the 
•*•  "  Twelve  delivered  the  baccalaureate  sermon  before 
the  graduating  class  of  the  University  of  Utah. 

Shirley  M.  Palmer  was  sustained  as  president  of  the 
Oneida  (Idaho)  Stake,  with  Gottfried  Schwartz  and  Elden 
S.  Tanner  as  counselors. 

Presiding  Bishop  LeGrand  Richards  dedicated  the 
Thomas  Ward,  Blackfoot  (Idaho)  Stake,  chapel. 

j  C  The  Y.W.M.I.A.  Camping  Conference  convened  at 
■*  M  The  Wigwam  (Boy  Scout  Camp),  in  Mill  Creek 
Canyon.  It  continued  the  following  day  with  an  institute 
at  Jordan  Park. 

Population  reference  bureau  findings  were  announced 
on  a  study  of  college  graduates  of  the  class  of  1924,  indi- 
cating that  on  the  national  average,  a  graduating  male  had 
had  1.77  children,  and  a  graduating  woman,  1.26.  How- 
ever, Brigham  Young  University  students  led  the  list  of 
college  graduates  in  establishing  homes  with  children.  The 
men  averaged  3.47  children,  the  women  2.45. 

The  appointment  of  Crawford  Gates  of  Brigham 
Young  University's  music  faculty,  to  the  general  board  of 
the  Y.M.M.I.A.,  was  announced. 


16 


The  first  annual  Improvement  Era  Writers'  Con- 
ference was  attended  by  over  one  hundred  fifty  writ- 
ers. It  featured  a  general  session,  a  writers'  luncheon,  three 
departmental  seminars,  and  a  concluding  general  session. 

The  M.I. A.  Drama  Festival,  held  at  Kingsbury  Hall, 
University  of  Utah,  campus  consisted  of  four  road  show 
acts,  a  play,  and  part  of  an  operetta.  Two  complete  per- 
formances were  given  during  the  evening. 

President  David  O.  McKay  dedicated  the  buildings 
and  grounds  of  the  Northern  Utah  Region  of  the  Church 
welfare  plan,  Ogden,  Utah. 

-j  n  The  fiftieth  annual  M.I.A.  conference  began  with  an 
•■■  ■  early  morning  reception  on  Temple  Square,  at  which 
the  executives  and  members  of  both  general  boards  were 
in  the  receiving  line.  Speakers  at  the  morning  conference 
session  included  President  George  Albert  Smith,  Elder 
John  A.  Widtsoe  of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve,  General 
Superintendent   Elbert   R.   Curtis   and   General    President 

AUGUST  1949 


Bertha  S.  Reeder  of  the  M.I.A.  The  Friday  afternoon  gen- 
eral session  featured  Elder  Ezra  Taft  Benson  as  a  speaker. 
Both  meetings  were  held  in  the  Tabernacle. 

Twenty-five  thousand  persons  saw  the  M.I.A.  Dance 
Festival  at  the  University  of  Utah  stadium. 

1  O  For  the  most  part,  the  M.I.A.  conference  day  was 
*-  °  devoted  to  departmental  sessions.  One  of  these  was 
an  Indian  correlation  meeting  at  which  the  music  was 
furnished  by  an  Indian  girls'  chorus,  and  the  praying  and 
part  of  the  speaking  was  done  by  Indians. 

During  June  conference,  the  M.I.A.  Music  Festival 
was  held  in  the  Tabernacle.  It  featured  a  1 200-voice  youth 
chorus,  made  up  of  Y.M.  and  Y.W.M.I.A.  members  from 
all  over  the  Church. 

-j  Q  An  M.I.A.  testimony  meeting  was  held  in  the  Taber- 
■*•  **  nacle.  An  afternoon  general  session  also  convened 
in  the  Tabernacle.  In  the  evening  a  discussion  by  youth 
was  directed  by  Assistant  Superintendent  Ralph  W.  Hardy. 
President  David  O.  McKay  addressed  the  youth  confer- 
ence. 

Elder  Harold  B.  Lee  of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve 
dedicated  the  Ukiah  Branch  chapel,  Northern  California 
Mission. 

Speaking  from  New  York  City  on  "Faith  for  Today," 
Elder  Wallace  F.  Bennett  delivered  the  Church  of  the  Air 
address  on  a  nationwide  radio  network.  The  Sunday  School 
treasurer  was  in  the  East  on  business,  as  current  president 
of  the  National  Manufacturer's  Association. 

2  A    The  San  Fernando  (California)  Stake  choral  society 
"    presented  the  dramatic  cantata,  The  Liahona,  in  the 
Tabernacle  on  Temple  Square. 

The  sixty-eighth  anniversary  of  the  founding  of  the 
general  board  was  noted  by  a  luncheon  of  present  and 
former  members  of  the  Y.W.M.I.A.  general  board. 

O  0  The  appointment  of  Asahel  D,  Woodruff,  dean  of 
"  "  the  graduate  school  at  Brigham  Young  University, 
to  the  general  board  of  the  Deseret  Sunday  School  Union 
was  announced. 

Approximately  5,000  oldsters,  seventy  years  old  or 
over,  attended  the  annual  Old  Folks'  Day  in  Salt  Lake 
City's  Liberty  Park. 

20  Robert  D.  Young  was  named  president  of  the  Salt 
**  Lake  Temple,  succeeding  Elder  Joseph  Fielding 
Smith  of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve.  President  Young, 
formerly  president  of  the  Manti  Temple,  will  assume  his 
duties  in  August,  as  the  temple  reopens  after  a  summer 
vacation. 

Year  Book  of  Facts  and  Statistics  1949,  a  forty-eight 
page  pamphlet  issued  under  the  direction  of  the  Council 
of  the  Twelve,  came  from  the  press. 

O  A  Steam  shovel  equipment  began  operations  at  the 
"  ■*  site  of  the  Primary  Children's  hospital  in  Salt  Lake 
City.  Ground  for  the  new  structure  had  been  broken 
April  1. 

o  0  Elder  Henry  D.  Moyle  of  the  Council  of  the 
**  "  Twelve  dedicated  the  Alameda  Ward  chapel,  Oak- 
land (California)  Stake. 

La  Cresentia  Ward,  San  Fernando  (California)  Stake, 
was  created  from  parts  of  the  Glendale  East  Ward. 
Joseph  E.  Rich  is  bishop  of  the  new  ward. 

(Concluded  on  page  537) 
485 


MISSIONARIES  ENTERING  THE  MISSIONARY  HOME 
APRIL  II,  AND  DEPARTING  APRIL  20,  1949 

Reading  from  left  to  right,  first  row:  Derrell  Milo 
Anderson,  Boyd  G.  Pett,  Theral  R.  Nielsen,  S.  LeRoy 
Middaugh,  John  Gerald  Bjarnson,  Loras  Burke  Tan- 
gren,  LaMar  Floyd  Evans,  James  L.  Swapp. 

Second  row:  Estelle  Moe,  Carolyn  Robertson,  Wil- 
liam Thornton,  Hazel  Skouson,  Don  B.  Colton,  di- 
rector; Bonnie  Ellis,  Edward  R.  Tolman,  Eliza  Car- 
penter, Fay  Lunceford,  Lila  Mae  Astle. 

Third  row:  Lorenzo  Hawkins,  Mary  R.  Hawkins, 
John  A.  Green,  Ralph  L.  Webb,  Ray  E.  Christensen, 
Bertha  M.  Newman,  Mary  Bird,  Marie  G.  Charles- 
worth,  Dimple  Aycock. 

Fourth  row:  Keith  J.  Chapman,  Allen  Henry  How- 
ard, LaRell  David  Muir,  Ernest  LaVar  Gunderson, 
Roy  A.  Christensen,  Eldene  Taylor,  Lenore  Reynolds, 
Ina  R.  Butterworth,  llean  G.  Corbridge. 

Fifth  row:  Carl  Mellor,  Willard  K.  DeGraffenreid , 
George  W.  Hatch,  Abigail  W.  Sant,  Walter  R.  Sant, 
M.  W.  VanSeters,  Evan  A.  VanSeters,  Grace  L. 
Hunzeker,  Lillas  Swensen,  Donald  S.  Gray. 

Sixth  row:    Grant  C.  Howard,  Nephi  W.  Bushman, 


William  J.  Pratt,  David  Stanley  Pulsipher,  Jack 
Sommer,  Harvey  D.  Dimond,  Lowell  A.  Nielsen,  Bruce 

B.  White,  Walter  D.  Halliday,  Keith  G.  Markham. 
Seventh  row:    J.  Quentin  Midgley,  Vern  R.  Wigant, 

Grant  A.  Adams,  Robert  J.  Fenton,  Laurence  Duke 
Smith,  Donald  L.  Graviet,  Keith  J.  Meldrum,  Junior 
G.  Garlick,  Alan  Johnson. 

Eighth  row:  Kent  Tonks,  Darrell  G.  Kippen,  Robert 
R.  Rasmuson,  Don  W.  Hill,  Russell  Dwayne  Crockett, 
Dean  H.  Christensen,  Edmund  O.  Greenwood,  Horace 
David  Nelson,  George  Stanton  Knowlden,  Don  Frank 
Dailey. 

Ninth  row:  Reed  H.  Neilson,  Eugene  S.  Dahl,  Rob- 
ert R.  Stevens,  Alan  G.  Elder,  Earl  G.  McLain, 
Franklin  Daly,  Earl  W.  Dickman,  Mary  C.  Nevers, 
Reeda  M.  Bjarnson. 

Tenth  row:  Carmen  Bitter,  Phyllis  Jenkins,  Ima 
Lucille  Christofferson,  Carol  Welding,  Carl  G.  Brown, 

C.  Denton  Brough,  William  R.  Southwick,  Richard 
Keith  McDonald,  Reginald  R.  Dorff,  Thomas  V.  Ras- 
mussen. 

Eleventh  row:  Carol  Taylor,  Grace  Bowman,  La- 
verle  Morley,  Wesley  Ruane  Law,  Ray  L.  White, 
Reed  K.  Curtis,  Claire  J.  Fisher. 


Twelfth  row:  Donna  Mae  Corbridge,  Thelma  Esther 
Dustin,  Martha  Parrish,  Shirley  S.  Simmons,  Alice 
Sargent,  Ralph  McFarland,  Charles  R.  Oniones, 
Curtis   Wright,   Roland  Hanson,  Raymond  S.   Jensen. 

Thirteenth  row:  Richard  Beazer,  Rulon  Judd,  Bob 
Calderwood,  Audrey  Elaine  Montague,  Serge  Wood- 
ruff, Phoebe  Williams,  Franklin  Hyrum  Millet,  Paul 
E.  Richardson,  Glen  L.  Nelson. 

Fourteenth  row:  Roberta  F.  Carpenter,  Ted  Shum- 
way,  Keith  T.  Nelson,  Harold  A.  Brooks,  James  R. 
Lindsley,  Gordon  A.  Madsen,  Fanny  G.  Brunt,  David 
A.    Erickson. 

Fifteenth  row:  Berk  Washburn,  Reed  Crapo,  Duane 
Major,  Harry  Trice,  Richard  Potts,  Richard  Brown, 
Darwin  Hansen. 

Sixteenth  row:  Earl  S.  Jones,  Richard  G.  Green- 
land, Rulon  Lee,  Ray  L.  Montgomery,  Richard  B. 
Allen. 

Seventeenth  row:  Barton  C.  Olsen,  Glendon  E. 
Steiner,  Raymond  A.  Webb,  Glen  T.  Bean,  Clarence 
S.  Sharp,  Leland  H.  Florence,  Theodore  A.  Miller, 
Dale  E.  Dawson,  Dean  S.  Alger,  Dean  L.  Palmer,  De- 
Waldo  Potter,  Edwin  C.  Cook. 


Departing   Missionaries 


MISSIONARIES  ENTERING  THE  MISSIONARY  HOME 
JUNE  6,  AND  DEPARTING  JUNE  15,  1949 

Reading  from  left  to  right,  first  row:  Byron  E. 
Jones,  Edgar  Neel,  Gerald  R.  Thomson,  Herbert  D. 
Papenfuss,  Darlene  A.  James,  Don  B.  Colton,  director; 
Thelma  R.  Butterfield,  Shirla  V.  Howell,  Vera 
Schofield,   Betty  N.   Miller,   Phyllis   Earl. 

Second  row:  Lucele  Kartchner,  Laurie  Dea  Thomp- 
son, Phyllis  Maurine  Beard,  John  Richard  Walker, 
Arthur  Daniel  Lindquist,  Ranee  Wilde,  Mary  Osgu- 
thorpe,  Lora  Dunn,  Ernest  H.  Webb,  Joseph  M. 
Newey,   Kenneth   Wayne   Park,   Arnold   A.    Williams. 

Third  row:  T.  W.  Gardner,  Amelia  P.  Gardner, 
Ora  Mae  Bishop,  Dorothy  Eckersell,  Ernest  D. 
Smith,  Dean  R.  Crump,  Boyd  G.  Parker,  Clair  E. 
Snow,  Louis  Howell,  Carl  D.  Loveless,  Raymond 
Jones,  Bartola  Ramirez,  Betty  Lou   Tanner. 

Fourth  row:  Marie  Allred,  Harold  L.  Richards, 
Richard  Merrill,  Leland  C.  Grant,  Ned  B.  Bethers, 
Owen    Garlick,   Benton   L.    Blake,   Newell   Kay  Rich- 


ardson, Kenneth  Munk,  Garrett  Thain,  Dennis  Funk, 
Mrs.  W.  S.  Erickson,  W.  S.  Erickson. 

Fifth  row:  Arleen  Smith,  Margaret  P.  Petersen, 
Dorothy  M.  Blackham,  Keith  Bischoff,  Dorothy 
Crookston,  Rex  Thomas  Price,  Bryce  E.  Goodwin, 
Marion  S.  Wittwar,  Deon  L.  Hendrickson,  William 
B.  Stanger,  Donna  Buttars,  Virgil  Ricks,  Arturo  R. 
Martinez. 

Sixth  row:  Edward  R.  Gwynn,  Wayne  Berry,  Dean 
W.  Packard,  Paul  Kent  Cropper,  Joseph  Brick  Holt, 
Joel  R.  Bischoff,  Conley  S.  Thatcher,  Robert  L. 
Leake,  Max  Holman,  Ferol  LaRae  Poulson,  Norine 
Butler,  Garth  B.  Whitney. 

Seventh  row:  Valden  Jay  Wood,  Pearson  S.  Cor- 
bett,  Richard  S.  Watson,  Grant  Budge  Wiser,  Bruce 
Conrad  Bushel!,  Cuma  Poulton,  Shirl  H.  Bunting, 
Boyd  A.  Hansen,  Rena  Jewel  Curtis,  Jenice  Alene 
Hardy,  Nola  F.  Heppler,   Byron  J.   Gooch. 

Eighth  row:  Barbara  Higginbotham,  Donna  Mae 
Linford,  Merwin  Voyle  Sorenson,  Forrest  Hyrum 
Nulph,   Alice  May  Cutler,   Robert  E.   Schneider,  Lois 


Kelsey,  Valena  Ballard,  Mildred  Ann  Widdison,  Elwin 
O.  Barnum. 

Ninth  row:  Margaret  Millett,  Glenn  W.  Hunt, 
Rogers  F.  Lambert,  Emmett  R.  Nulph,  Dale  Steiner, 
Warren  Floyd,  Dean  Brian,  Jerald  P.  Squire,  Glenn 
M.  St  rattan,  Joseph  B.  Abegg,  Fay  Olsen,  Hilda 
Baldauf,  Ray  L.  Carter. 

Tenth  row:  Dean  O.  Peck,  Wilford  Bruce  Hilton, 
Richard  B.  Miskin,  Wilford  J.  Tolman,  Sylvan  M. 
Anderson,  Norman  F.  Hurst,  Gordon  H.  Lee,  Gerald 
Morris,  Milford  C.  Cottrell,  Wayne  W.  Probst,  Elaine 
H.  Higgins,  Calvin  L.  Maxfield,  John  L.  Anderson. 

Eleventh  row:  Florence  Larkin,  Shirley  M.  Johnson, 
Louis  Nielsen,  LaWana  King,  James  C.  Richards, 
Ray  C.  Meldrum,  Loy  G.  Hatch,  Lawrence  J.  Spjute, 
Grant  E.  Broderick,  Theron  Bowles,  Carl  J.   Carlson. 

Twelfth  row:  Rex  L.  Allred,  William  Dean  Wood, 
Walter  A.  Kramer,  A.  Darrell  Rigby,  George  Joe 
Thain,  James  M.  Wagstaff,  Sherwin  H.  Larsen, 
Essie  L.   Wright,   Roald  E.  Peterson,  Keith  Crandell. 


486 


THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


TAKE   THE   BEAUTIFUL   NEW 


PORTLAND  *  SAN  FRANCISCO 


"jAr  Coast  Daylights  show  you  the  Pacific  Ocean  and  Mission  Trail  (Los  Angeles-San  Francisco). 


~k  New  Shasta  Daylight  —"The  Million  Dollar  Train  with  the  Million  Dollar  View"  (San  Francisco-Portland). 


lew  luxury  train  — new  low  fare  — new  fast  schedule!  The 
beautiful  Shasta  Daylight  now  links  Portland  and  San  Francisco  in  a  15%- 
hour  run  (7:45  a.m.  to  1 1 .15  p.m.),  lets  you  see  the  whole  Pacific  Coast  by  day. 


Now  you  can  see  the  whole  Pacific  Coast 
by  Daylight.  Through  the  huge  "Sky- 
view"  picture  windows  of  the  Shasta 
Daylight  you  see  Lassen  Peak,  Shasta 
Dam's  Lake  and  Pit  River  Bridge, 
breath-taking  Sacramento  River  Canyon, 
mighty  Mt.  Shasta,  the  Cascade  Moun- 
tains, Odell  Lake,  the  Willamette  River. 

Together  with  our  California  Dayligh  ts, 
this  new  streamliner  shows  you  the 
world's  greatest  parade  of  ocean  and 
mountain  scenery  — all  by  daylight,  in 
streamlined  chair  cars,  at  lowest  fares. 

The  Shasta  Daylight  is  custom-built 
for  the  route  it  serves.  Decoration  and 


S*P 


color  schemes  were  taken  from  the  scen- 
ery along  the  way. 

Its  enormous  windows  — nearly  30% 
taller  and  wider  than  the  extra  large 
windows  on  our  other  Daylights  —  are 
especially  designed  for  viewing  mountain 
scenery.  A  "breathing"  apparatus  pre- 
vents fogging  of  the  glass.  All  seats  are 
of  soft  foam  rubber.  Luggage  is  safely 
stored  in  baggage  elevators,  out  of  your 
way.  Feather-touch  doors  open  and  close 
automatically. 

Traveling  to  or  from  the  Pacific  North- 
west, plan  to  ride  the  Shasta  Daylight. 

it:  Send  for  free  folders. 


SOUTHERN  PACIFIC'S  FOUR  SCENIC  ROUTES 

showing  the  route  of  the  Daylights  in  black 

r 

O.  V.  Gibson,  14  S.  Main  St. 
Salt  Lake  City  1,  Utah 

Please  send  me,  free,  your  natural-color 
booklet,  "The  New  Shasia  Daylight",  and 
trip  planning  folder,  "See  the  Pacific  Coast 
by  Daylight  in  5  Days". 

Name 


The  friendly  Southern  Pacific 


Address, 
City 


.State. 


AUGUST  1949 


487 


YOU  CAN 

FLY  BY  CUPPER* 


ROUND 
THE  WORLD 


•  Only  Pan  American  flies  to 
all  six  continents  ...  to  61 
countries  and  colonies.  So, 
wherever  you  want  to  go,  it's 
likely  that  Clippers  can  fly  you 
there  directly  .  .  .  with  a  single 
ticket  and  a  single  set  of  hag- 
gage  checks. 

You  may  fly  abroad  by  one 
Clipper  route,  return  by  an- 
other— and  still  get  important 
round-trip  savings! 

For  information  on  flights, 
fares  and  reservations,  call  your 
Travel  Agent  or  the  nearest 
Pan  American  office. 


*  Trade  Mark. 
Pan  American  Airways,  Inc. 


PAM AMfflfCAtf 


World  Airways 

WORLD'S  MOST  EXPERIENCED  AIRLINE 

@M0LL£fl 

THC  ARTIST  OF  ORGANS -THE  ORGAN  OF  ARTISTS 


HAGERSTOWN,  MARYLAND 


THE  NEW 


// 


Will  complement  and  beautify  the  service 

of  your  Church 

Direct    factory   delivered    costs   $3,740   to 

$4,155 

For  complete  details,  write 

EUGENE  E.  POOLE 

235  Central  Building,  Seattle,  Washington 
488 


Y.M.M.I.A.  HONOR  CERTIFICATES 


Explorer  post  advisers  and  scout- 
masters listed  below  have  been 
recognized  for  efficient  leader- 
ship. They  have  received  a  special 
honor  certificate  awarded  by  the 
general  superintendency  of  the 
Y.M.M.I.A.  to  exploring  and  scout- 
ing leaders  who  have  completed  a 
required  leadership  program,  unit- 
ing the  spiritual  phase  of  the  pro- 
gram with  the  standards  and  prac- 
tices of  the  Church. 

The  honor  certificate  require- 
ments are  based  upon  a  nine-point 
program,  as  illustrated  in  the  1949- 
50  requirements  for  Exploring  ad- 
visers : 

1.  Participating  in  youth  leadership  pro- 
gram 

2.  Urging  by  a  personal  campaign  with 
each  Explorer  the  non-use  of  liquor  and 
tobacco 

3.  Urging  each  Explorer  to  observe  a  sa- 
cred Sabbath 

4.  Conducting  impressive  carry-on  exer- 
cises for  all  Boy  Scouts  entering  the 
Explorer  posts 

5.  Urging  proper  respect  for  the  house  of 
worship  and  Church  authorities 

6.  Using  eight  discussion  topics  on  the 
"Qualities  of  Attractive  Manhood"  pre- 
pared by  Superintendent  Ralph  W. 
Hardy,  as  a  basis  for  discussion  in  eight 
unit  meetings 

7.  Participating  of  Explorer  post  in  at 
least  one  inter-unit  athletic  activity  dur- 
ing the  year  (all  camping  is  conducted 
according  to  Latter-day  Saint  stand- 
ards) 

8.  Seeing  that  Explorers  meet  the  require- 
ments of  "duty  to  God"  before  advanc- 
ing from  one  rank  to  another,  with  at 
least  ten  percent  of  the  post  qualifying 
for  the  Deseret  Recognition  award 

9.  Carrying  out  an  active  social  program 


■  ♦ 


THE  HOUSE  OF  WISDOM 

By  Clarence  Edwin  Flynn 

Wisdom  keeps  a  wide  house 
On  an  open  street, 
On  a  crest  inviting 
All  earth's  questing  feet 

Pleasant  is  her  fireside, 
Nourishing  her  bread. 
Wisdom  sets  a  table 
Always  richly  spread. 

Though  her  house  is  spacious, 
And  has  room  to  spare, 
Only  honest  seekers 
Can  be  happy  there. 

Sons  of  truth  arriving 
Enter  in  and  stay, 
But  the  sons  of  darkness 
Turn  and  go  their  way. 


ten 

in    harmony   with    the    Explorer-Junior 
five-point  social  program 

Certificate  winners  for  the  1948- 
49  season  are: 

Tendoy  Area  Council  (Idaho) 

Scoutmasters:  LeRoy  Hirschi,  St. 
Charles;  Zendell  M.  Hale,  Pocatel- 
lo. 

Mr.  Lassen  Council  (California) 

Scoutmaster:  Dean  R.  Myers, 
Redding. 

3  G  Council   (Arizona) 

Scoutmasters:  Bernard  Clawson, 
Safford;  Virgil  Jones,  Duncan;  J. 
Leo  Mortensen,  Thatcher;  Farr  D. 
Taylor,  Pima;  Roland  W.  Corri- 
veau,  Globe;  Earl  B.  Young,  Jr., 
Morenci. 

Post  Advisers:  Reef  P.  Kelly, 
Safford;  L.  M.  Hatch,  Duncan. 

Roosevelt  Council  (Arizona) 

Scoutmasters:  Joseph  J.  Criswell, 
Floyd  J.  Bennett,  J.  Winton  Miller, 
Ellis  D.  Biggs,  and  W.  Kenneth 
Huish,  Mesa. 

Post  Adviser:  Oral  Lee  Moore, 
Mesa. 

Ogden  Area  Council  (Utah) 

Scoutmasters:  William  Poole, 
Warren  N.  Shurtliff,  Howard  E. 
Watts,  and  C.  Michael  Larsen,  Og- 
den; Ray  M.  Wangsgard,  Hunts- 
ville. 

Post  Advisers:  Robert  Ray 
Wade,  Ogden;  Ted  Valentine  and 
Martella  T.  Nelson,  Brigham; 
Burns  H.  Wangsgard,  Huntsville. 

Salt  Lake  Area  Council  (Utah) 

Scoutmasters:  Clyde  D.  Glad  and 
Walter  A.  Christensen,  Salt  Lake 
City. 

Post  Advisers:  Rue  Sanders  and 
Knight  B.  Kerr,  Salt  Lake  City. 

Utah  National  Parks  Council  (Utah) 

Scoutmasters:  John  F.  Abel  and 
Wayne  R.  McTague,  American 
Fork;  Horace  W.  Hood,  Verne  S. 
Nelson,  J.  Hugh  Sellers  and  How- 
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Post  Advisers:  Rex  Larren  and 
Fred  S.  Doffendoe,  Price. 

Boise  Area  Council  (Idaho) 

Post  Advisers:  W.  Porter  May 
and  Dan  R.  McQueen,  Boise. 

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AUGUST  1949 


489 


JUNE  CONFERENCE 

Jsn  J-^ictvire 

June  17-19, 1949 


7.  President  George  Albert  Smith  and  President 
George  F.  Richards  look  over  the  June  confer- 
ence program  with  Superintendent  Elbert  R. 
Curtis  and  President  Bertha  S.  Reeder.  Photo, 
courtesy   Salt   Lake   "Tribune" 

2.  View  of  the  youth  in  attendance  at  the  youth 
conference  session  in  the  Tabernacle,  June  19. 
Seated  among  the  youth  are  President  J.  Reuben 
Clark,  Jr.,  and  President  David  O.  McKay  of 
the  First  Presidency,  and  Elder  Stephen  L  Rich- 
ards of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  and  author 
of  "The  Case  for  Virtue"  being  used  to  empha- 
size the  M.I. A.  theme  for  1949-50.  Photo, 
courtesy  Salt  Lake  "Tribune" 

3.  One  view  of  the  great  interest  shown  in  the 
handicrafts  section  held  at  the  Lion  House. 
Photo,  courtesy  Salt  Lake  "Tribune" 

4.  Narrators  for  the  Dance  Festival:  Shauna  Mc- 
Latchy  and  Lvnn  McKinlay.  Photo,  courtesy 
"Deseret  News" 

5.  View  of  the  music  festival,  Crawford  Gates 
conducting,  1200  participants.  Photo,  courtesy 
Salt  Lake  "Tribune" 

6.  Floor  Show,  Dance  Festival,  one  of  many  origi- 
nal floor  shows  presented.  Photo,  courtesy  Salt 
Lake  "Tribune" 


7.    Floor  Show  featuring  black  light- 
Idaho.      Photo,    courtesy    Venice 
dance  director 


-from  Nampa, 
Grant,    stake 


8.  Bee  Hive  Group,  demonstrating  the  organiza- 
u0n  ?j  responsibility:  Ann  C.  Larson,  general 
board;  Maxine  Garff,  stake  bee  keeper;  Barbara 
Reynolds,  ward  bee  keeper;  and  Charlotte  Shef- 
field   Bee  Hive  Girl.    Photo,  courtesy  Salt  Lake 

Tribune 

9.  Boy  Scout-Explorer  Barbecue.  Photo,  courtesy 
Salt  Lake     Tribune 

10.  Reception  line  at  beginning  of  conference,  June 
U,  on  the  tabernacle  grounds.    Photo,  courtesy 

Deseret  News 

11.  Photograph  of  the  M.I.A.  general  boards.  Photo 
courtesy  D.  F.  Davis 

12.  MI.A.  dance  festival — at  the  moment  of  praver 
Photo,  courtesy  "Deseret  News" 

13.  M.I.A.  General  Executives:  Superintendent  El- 
bert R.  Curtis  and  President  Bertha  S.  Reeder- 
First  Counselor  Emily  H.  Bennett,  First  Assistant 
Superintendent  A.  Walter  Stephenson,  Second 
Counselor  LaRue  C.  Longden,  Second  Assistant 
Superintendent  Ralph  W.  Hardy.  Photo,  courtesy 
D.  F.  Davis 


14. 


Scene  from  "The  Other  Apostle"  at  drama  festi- 
val,  June    16,    1949.     Photo,   courtesy   "Deseret 


NOCTURNE 

By  Beulah  Huish  Sadleir 

/^\h,  calm,  cool  night, 

^^    That  rode  in  on  an  evening  cloud, 

Spread  your  blue-black  majesty 

Over  a  parched  summer  earth 

Andgive  man  a  chance  to  rest  from 

Day's  exacting  pace. 

Let  yourself  in  mystic  stillness 

Whisper  to  the  trees, 

And  in  their  rustled  symphony  of  strings 

Give   him   music   to   drown 

Day's  raucous  sounds. 

Hasten  not  the  sleeper — oh,  night, 
Neither  the  builder  of  dreams, 
For  he  that  is  not  robbed  of  you 
Will  awaken  to  a  better  dawn. 

And  once  again,  wondrous  savant  of  old, 
Whose  magic  incites  love's  timeless  trend, 
Cause  this  love,  enrobed  in  garments  of 
Faith  and  peace,  to  know  man's  soul 
And  fill  his  hungering  need. 
490 


■  \ 


THE  MISSIONARY 

By  Alice  Morrey  Bailey 

HE  needs  no  robe  to  set  himself  apart. 
He  wears  authority!    His  countenance 
Shines  with  his  faith  and  purity  of  heart. 
He  heeds  the  call  of  holy  circumstance 
And  bears  the  greatest  privilege  known  to 

man. 
His   path   may   lead    to   thrones   or   lowly 

berth; 
His   gift  is  life,   through   God's  appointed 

plan, 
And   his    the   message    angels    brought   to 

earth. 

He    worships    where     his     fathers'     altars 

burned 
And  sees  their  labors  brought  from  many 

lands, 
The    precious    yield    of    humble    and    of 

learned. 
High  on  a  mighty  eminence  he  stands 
And  lifts  the  flame  of  those  who  have  gone 

by, 
For  he  shall  fling  its  light  beyond  the  sky. 


MY  FATHER 


By  Leone  E.  McCune 

I  SEE  him  still,  behind  his  plow; 
His  muscled  body  swings 
Along  the  rough,  uneven  swell 
Of  fields;    his  heart  within  him  sings. 

I  see  him  still;    he's  bent  and  old; 
But  joy  lights  fading  eyes. 
He  prunes  the  roses  by  his  gate 
Under  the  soft,  blue,  summer  skies. 

This  is  his  joy,  his  love,  his  faith, 
Collaborating  with  his  God, 
Throughout  the  years  to  help  create 
Earth's  precious  life  from  seed  and  sod. 


A  FARM  NEEDS  A  BOY 
By  Mildred  Gofi 

A  farm  needs  a  boy. 
Nothing  else  takes  the  place 
Of  a  quick-footed  boy 
With  a  tan-freckled  face. 
To  fish  in  the  brook, 
To  slide  in  the  hay, 
To  hunt  for  the  eggs 
That  are  hidden  away, 
To  greet  every  morning 
With  a  wild  shout  of  joy, 
To  make  life  worth  living, 
A  farm  needs  a  boy! 


DAWNBREAK 

By  Ella  Waterbury  Gardner 
ran  up  the  curtain, 


I 


And  there  was  the  moon, 
A  crescent  through  foliage 
Across  the  sky  strewn. 

I  ran  up  the  curtain, 
And  there  I  could  see 
The  bridal  wreath  tapping 
The  window  for  me. 

With  sharp  little  chirpings 
The  birds  were  awake. 
But  all  else  was  silence 
At  breathless  dawnbreak. 


W 


HERE,  IN  SUMMER 
By  Elaine  V.  Emans 

hen  you  declared,  "It  will  be  thus  and 
so," 

Dreaming  of  summertime,  in  winter's  grip, 
I  said,  'You  overdream  her;    she  will  slip 
In  quietly  and  warmly."   But  I  know, 
Now,  she  is  more  than  prisoners  in  snow 
Could  well  remember,  from  the  nectar-sip 
Of  every  bee  at  flower  to  the  tip 
Of  each  wing-lifting  butterfly;    from  doe 
With  nuzzling  fawn  to  piquancy  of  wren, 
And  thrasher  aria;    from  waving  wheat 
To  cumuli  within  the  river  when 
The  day  is  quiet.    Here,  in  summer,  meet 
Even  more  joys  than  could  be  dreamed  by 

men 
Walking  a  snowy  lane,  an  icy  street. 


RAIL  FENCES 
By  Alice  Josephine  Wyatt 

"Dail   fences  marked  the  farmers'  shoe- 

■■■*-  string  parks 

Inhabited  by  orioles  and  larks, 

And  strung  with  berries  winding  like  red 
beads 

Dotted  through  the  flowers  and  the  weeds. 

Here  weary  men  could  leave  the  horse  and 
plow 

To  take  the  shade  of  some  wild  cherry 
bough, 

And  doze  a  while,  or  watch  a  copper  bee 

That  exercised  his  grand  monopoly 

On  some  defenseless,  honey-hoarding  flow- 
er 

With  one  drop  hidden  in  its  petaled  bower. 

Here  butterflies  were  flung  on  silent  wings 
In  colored  squadrons  like  enchanted  things. 
These  fragile  flower-like  bombers  had  one 

duty — 
Their   flying    mission   was   not   death,   but 

beauty. 

All  loveliness  and  fences  are  akin — 

The  path  of  peace  they  weave  is  genuine. 


TIME  IS  A  GIFT 

By  Mary  O'Connor 

'  I  'ime  is  a  woven  filigree 
*     of  moments  and  their  hours 
Required  to  weave  a  tapestry 

of  strength  or  fragile  flowers. 
Time  is  the  God-gift  briefly  held 

by  men  both  rich  and  poor, 
A  thing  to  which  their  faith  can  weld 

a  life  that  stands  secure. 
And  they  may  waste  it,  bit  by  bit, 

or  make  each  second  serve 
To  glorify  and  gladden  it 

with  every  bone  and  nerve. 
Time  is  the  space  allotted  man 

to  make  all  hatred  cease 
And  live  within  the  prayerful  plan 

of  brotherhood  and  peace. 


WESTERN  MANNA 

By  Ruth  C,  Ikerman 

HPhe  desert  to  me  was  a  wilderness  until  I 
*•    learned  that  God 

Provides  there  beauty,  daily  manna  despite 
sun's  hot  rays. 

Now  he  speaks  to  me  from  out  that  burning 
bush,  the  ocotillo. 

His  silver  smoke  tree  guides,  pillar  of  cloud 
through  the  days. 


ENOUGH 

By  Mabel  Jones  Gabbott 

Ts  this  enough  to  bring  my  heart  content: 
•*•    The  gleam  of  crystal  in  low  candlelight, 
A  coverlet  laid  smooth,  a  fragile  white 
Old  vase  with  roses  spilled,  like  love  well- 
spent? 

Or    this:     the    laughter    in   my    daughter's 
eyes, 

The  warm  pink  glow  of  health  that  lights 
her  face, 

Her   tawny   hair,   sun-filled,  her  swift  em- 
brace? 

Is  there  on  earth  a  more  endearing  prize? 

Is  this  enough:    your  need  that  meets  my 
own, 

In  sun  and  storm,  the  certainty  that  whether 

Joy  or  sorrow  comes,  we  are  together, 

Two  as  one,  not  each  adrift  alone. 

Beauty,  work,  and  love:    this  is  "the  stuff 

That    dreams    are    made    of."     Yes,    it   is 
enough. 


492 


— Photo,    Godsey   from   Monkmeyer 


REFLECTIONS 

By  Thelma  Ireland 

*  I  vhe  lake  spread  out  her  apron 
■*■    Of  ruffled,  blue  percale 
To  catch  the  downy  snowball  clouds 
That  rode  the  azure  veil. 

THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


ESSINGS  FOR  YOUTH 

Dm  l^resiaevit  (ueorae  ^Mloert  ^mith 


(From  a  Talk  Delivered  at  the  M.I. A.  June  Conference,  Friday,  June  17, 1949.) 


V. 


his  is  a  beautiful  picture.  It 
has  been  an  inspiration  to  me  to  be  here  this 
morning,  and  as  I  have  sat  here,  I  have  gone 
over  in  my  mind  nearly  seventy  years  of  my 
life  in  M,LA.  and  I  have  discovered  that 
there  is  so  much  that  has  come  to  me  as  a 
blessing  from  this  marvelous  organization 
that  I  have  no  way  of  telling  you  adequately 
about  it. 

I  wonder  if  you  realize  what  a  power  for 
good  this  institution  holds,  with  approximate- 
ly one  hundred  seventy-five  thousand  mem- 
bers. Think  what  it  means  to  be  identified 
with  such  a  group. 

Here  we  are  in  this  great  tabernacle  that 
has  been  dedicated  to  the  Lord  for  worship. 
We  have  not  filled  all  the  seats  this  morning, 
but  it  is  a  marvelous  audience,  and  I  am 
grateful  to  be  able  to  be  here. 

My  mind  has  gone  back  over  my  experi- 
ences in  M.I. A.,  the  development  that  has 
been  made.  When  I  realize  that  we  are  not 
only  representing  here  a  community  such  as 
we  have  in  this  valley,  but  you  are  repre- 
sentatives of  groups  of  people  who  have 
pushed  out  into  other  states  and  territories 
and  nations,  how  grateful  I  am!  If  we  are 
doing  our  full  duty  in  each  of  these  places, 
there  are  those  who  have  joy  in  making  the 
lives  of  their  associates  rich  by  companion- 
ship. There  is  an  influence  for  good  in  a 
congregation  like  this  in  this  great  house.  My 
feelings  are  subdued  when  I  realize  what  a 
privilege  has  been  mine  for  seventy  years 
to  mingle  with  men  and  women  and  boys  and 
girls  in  the  great  audiences  that  have  been 
assembled  here. 

I  have  never  learned  anything  in  M.I. A. 
that  was  not  beneficial.  I  have  learned  many 
things,  but  all  were  for  the  best,  and  when 
I  have  taken  advantage  of  the  advice  and 
counsel  and  the  programs  that  were  pre- 
pared for  us,  my  life  has  been  enriched,  and 
my  happiness  has  been  increased. 

Today  there  are  thousands  of  our  young 


people  who  would  be  glad  to  be  here  with  us, 
and  it  would  be  a  blessing  to  them  as  well 
as  to  us  if  they  could  be  here. 

We  have  listened  to  quite  a  number  of 
those  who  have  been  on  the  program  this 
morning.  I  wonder  sometimes  if  we  realize 
that  every  one  of  these  is  a  child  of  our 
Heavenly  Father.  Every  one  that  has  talked 
to  us,  or  sung  for  us,  or  prayed,  every  one 
is  not  just  a  man  or  a  woman  or  a  boy 
or  a  girl,  as  we  see  him;  but  each  one 
is  living  eternal  life,  each  one  is  a  child  of 
our  Father  in  heaven.  What  a  wonderful 
thing  it  is  to  know  that,  and  to  feel  the  influ- 
ence that  comes  from  that  knowledge.  They 
are  dear  to  him.  He  is  anxious  for  their  suc- 
cess and  happiness,  but  there  are  multitudes 
of  them  who  have  no  way  of  knowing  that 
they  are  his  children  unless  the  membership 
of  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day 
Saints  functions  in  the  missionary  field  and 
in  all  parts  of  the  world. 

It  has  been  my  privilege  the  last  year  to 
have  a  good  many  visitors,  men  and  women 
of  prominence,  come  into  the  office.  It  has 
not  been  unusual  for  them  to  say:  "What  a 
delightful  place  you  have  to  live  in."  When 
they  have  called  my  attention  to  that,  I  have 
taken  them  to  the  window  of  my  office  and 
said:  "Can  you  see  that  little  round  knoll 
out  there  on  the  horizon?" 

"Yes." 

"Can  you  see  a  flagpole  sticking  out  of 
the  top  of  it?" 

"Yes." 

And  then  I  have  said:  "That  is  Ensign 
Peak.  Do  you  see  the  trees  and  the  flowers 
and  all  the  beauty  at  the  top  of  that  peak?" 

And  they  have  turned  to  me  questioningly 
to  say:    "I  can't  see  any  trees  of  flowers." 

And  I  have  remarked:  "A  little  over  a 
hundred  years  ago  when  the  Latter-day 
Saints  came  into  this  valley,  the  whole  valley 
looked  as  barren  as  Ensign  Peak  with  the 

(Continued  on  page  540) 


AUGUST  1949 


493 


"Youth  That  Is  Clean" 


^rrom    talkd   delivered  durina    the    Ifvl.^J-.^A,    Confe 
Jrn    Jhe   J^>ait  <=JLahe    Jabernacie 
June    17,    1949 


erence 


By  Marilyn  Oliver 


Obedience  and  joy  go  hand  in  hand.  This  was 
realized  by  the  First  Presidency  when  they 
said,  "How  glorious  and  near  to  the  angels  is 
youth  that  i«  clean;  this  youth  has  joy  unspeakable 
here  and  eternal  happiness  hereafter." 

Cleanliness  of  body  and  mind  is  essential,  for  our 
mortal  bodies  house  the  Spirit  of  God,  and  impurities 
of  speech  ejected  from  these  tabernacles  are  soiling 
that  which  belongs  to  God.  The  language  of  Adam 
was  pure  and  undefined,  and  so  should  we  strive  to 
make  ours.  God  gave  men  language  as  a  means  for 
them  to  communicate  with  each  other,  that  they  might 
express  their  ideas,  hopes,  and  beliefs, 
and  pass  on  the  knowledge  and  wis- 
dom they  have  received  in  their  lives. 

As  members  of  the  kingdom  of  God, 
it  is  our  duty  to  keep  our  language 
pure  and  clean,  for  our  Father  in 
heaven  commanded  it  of  us  when  he 
said,  ".  .  .  let  all  things  be  done  in 
cleanliness  before  me"  (D.  &  C.  42: 
41  )  and  "Thou  shalt  not  take  the  name 
of  the  Lord  thy  God  in  vain."  (Ex. 
20:7.)  Incomprehensible  is  the  joy 
that  will  be  ours  if  we  obey  these  com- 
mandments. 

The  man  or  woman  who  abuses  our 
language  is  committing  sacrilege,  for 
sacrilege  is  the  violation  of  anything 
that  is  sacred  or  holy,  and  surely  our 
language  can  be  considered  to  be  such, 
for  it  is  the  means  by  which  we  teach 
his  commandments  unto  others.  The 
person  thus  committing  sacrilege  does 
not  have  the  great  joy  or  happiness 
that  the  righteous  and  obedient  pos- 
sess. When  a  thought,  word,  or  story  comes  to  our 
mind  that  we  wish  to  express,  we  might  say  to  our- 
selves, "Would  I  want  my  Father  in  heaven  to  hear 
me  say  this?"  And  if  our  answer  is  no,  we  will  know 
that  we  should  not  speak;  and  thus  we  can  judge  our 
speech;  for  God  does  hear  the  things  we  say,  and  he 
will  remember  if  we  keep  our  tabernacles  pure  before 
him  by  using  language  that  is  beautiful  and  not  cor- 
rupted. 

May  our  desire  be  like  that  of  the  Psalmist  when 
he  said,  "Let  the  words  of  my  mouth,  and  the  medita- 
tion of  my  heart,  be  acceptable  in  thy  sight,  O  Lord  .  .  . 
my  redeemer,"  (Psalm  19:14).  This  is  my  prayer,  and 
I  ask  it  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ.  Amen. 
494 


1949-50 

*.  I.  \.  THE/WE 


How  <=rforiO«S  arid  Me*r 

to  the  AngeJs 

h  YoutK  that  I*  Cie*rt; 

Ihh  YoutH  H«  Joy 

Unspeakable  Here 

arte)  {rterrtal  Happlnew 

Hereafter" 


3y  Frederick  Pingree 

There  was  once  a  very  rich  ruler  who  lived  in  a 
foreign  country.  Although  he  was  considered  to 
be  one  of  the  wealthiest  men  in  the  world,  he 
was  very  greedy  and  was  always  thinking  up  new 
ways  to  get  more  money;  but  still  he  wasn't  satisfied. 
He  wanted  the  most  precious  thing  on  earth.  He 
sent  out  three  of  his  subjects  to  bring  back  such 
a  treasure.  When  the  first  presented  his  find  to  the 
king,  it  was  a  beautifully  ornamented  ring  of  gold. 
The  king  was  pleased  with  this,  but  he  hoped  for 
something  better.  The  second  then  presented  the  king 
with  a  very  large  jewel.  This  man  was  rewarded 
greatly.  When  the  third  presented  his 
find,  he  was  laughed  at,  for  all  he  had 
was  a  sack  of  wheat.  His  reward  came 
when  he  was  cast  out  of  the  kingdom 
and  he  was  mocked  for  all  that  year. 
But  the  next  year  came  and  brought 
with  it  a  famine.  Then  the  king  and 
his  people  realized  that  the  common 
and  seemingly  unattractive  wheat  was 
much  more  valuable  than  all  the  rich 
treasures  put  together.  They  had  been 
judging  things  by  a  wrong  set  of 
values. 

We,  the  youth  of  the  Church,  are 
sometimes  guilty  of  judging  things  by 
a  wrong  set  of  values.  Such  is  some- 
times the  case  in  this  matter  of  moral- 
ity. Although  it  is  much  easier  to  go 
along  with  the  crowd  and  go  against 
what  we  have  been  taught,  those  who 
keep  the  law  of  chastity  will  be  re- 
warded here  and  in  the  life  to  come. 
One  who  is  unclean  is  denied  the 
privilege  of  entering  the  temple  for 
marriage  and  consequently  is  unable  to  receive  the 
blessings  that  come  with  it.  We  should  strive  toward 
that  goal  of  perfection  at  all  times,  remembering  that 
one  moment  of  forgetfulness  can  bring  unhappiness  for 
a  whole  lifetime.  High  ideals  and  a  will  to  do  right 
are  the  means  by  which  we  can  make  a  better  life  for 
ourselves  both  here  and  in  the  life  to  come.  The  First 
Presidency  told  us  what  could  be  promised  to  those 
who  lived  right  when  they  said,  "How  glorious  and 
near  to  the  angels  is  youth  that  is  clean;  this  youth 
has  joy  unspeakable  here  and  eternal  happiness  here- 
after." 

THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


TESTIMO 


*  | f  his  timely  address  by  Presi- 
■*■  dent  Clark  was  given  at  the 
Sunday  morning  session  of  June  con- 
ference, June  19,  1949,  immediately 
prior  to  the  general  testimony  bear- 
ing of  the  meeting. 


MY  brothers  and  sisters:  I  trust 
that  the  blessings  of  the  Lord 
will  be  with  me  as  I  stand  be- 
fore you  today.  We  are  here  to 
bear  witness  to  the  goodness  and 
the  mercy  and  the  blessings  of  the 
Lord,  and  to  testify  to  the  truth  of 
the  restored  gospel,  and  to  the  re- 
stored priesthood;  to  the  fact  that 
the  restoration  accomplished  by  and 
through  the  instrumentality  of  Jo- 
seph Smith  exists  today  with  the 
same  powers,  the  same  authorities, 
the  same  blessings,  that  came 
through  the  Prophet  himself;  that 
since  the  Prophet's  time,  from  then 
until  now,  there  has  been  an  un- 
broken line  of  descent  of  authority; 
and  that  President  George  Albert 
Smith  is  the  prophet,  seer,  and 
revelator,  and  the  President  of  the 
Church  today,  the  presiding  high 
priest,  just  as  fully  and  completely 
as  was  the  Prophet  Joseph  when  he 
established  the  Church. 

A  testimony  is  a  sacred  gift.  It 
is  not  to  be  trifled  with;  it  is  not  a 
matter  to  be  boasted  about;  it  is  a 
matter  to  be  treated  in  the  greatest 
humility,  to  be  used  whenever  the 
cause  of  the  Lord  requires  it  to  be 
used,  to  be  cherished,  nurtured,  fed 
by  righteous  living. 

Many  people  who  come  amongst 
us  ask:  "What  is  it  that  enables 
you  people  to  work  together  as  you 
work?"  It  has  seemed  to  me  the 
answer  is  simple,  and  I  have  so 
stated  to  them.  We  are  united,  we 
work  together,  because  of  what  we 
call  our  testimonies,  which  means 
our  knowledge  that  this  is  the  work 
of  God,  and  that  we  are  united  in 
carrying  forward  his  purposes. 

A  testimony  is  the  thing  which 
gives  us  the  power  to  endure,  en- 
dure the  scoffs  and  the  ridicule  that 
are  sometimes  heaped  upon  us,  and  to 
endure  likewise  the  praise  which 
comes  to  us  and  about  us,  endure 
praise  so  that  we  may  not  be  turned 
aside  and  become  proud,  boastful, 

AUGUST  1949 


-JSc 


acm 


By  PRESIDENT  J.  REUBEN  CLARK,  JR. 

OF  THE  FIRST  PRESIDENCY 


and   haughty  in  our   attitudes  and 
spirits. 

HThere  are  two  kinds  of  testimony, 
one  which  comes  from  the  senses, 
the  eye,  the  ear,  the  touch.  So  far 
as  I  am  concerned,  because  I  know 
how  uncertain  is  the  eye  and  the 
ear  and  the  touch,  I  have  felt  that 
the  other  testimony,  the  testimony 
of  the  Spirit,  was  for  me  the  truer 
one. 

As  for  the  testimony  of  the  senses, 
you  will  remember  that  Thomas, 
one  of  the  Lord's  ancient  Apostles, 
was  not  present  at  the  meeting  on 
the  evening  of  the  day  of  the  resur- 


PRES1DENT  J.  REUBEN  CLARK,  JR. 

rection  when  Christ  appeared  to 
the  others.  They,  when  he  appeared, 
had  not  believed  until  he  had  by  his 
presence  and  his  words  and  actions 
shown  them  that  he  was  actually  the 
risen  Lord.  When  Thomas  was  told 
of  this,  he  said  he  would  not  believe 
"...  Except  I  shall  see  in  his  hands 
the  print  of  the  nails,  and  put  my 
finger  into  the  print  of  the  nails,  and 
thrust  my  hand  into  his  side."  (John 
20:25.)  • 

The  week  following  that  first  meet- 
ing, the  disciples  were  together  again. 
Thomas  was  there  also.  Suddenly 
into  the  room  came  Jesus,  even  as 
he  had  come  the  week  before;  he 


turned  to  Thomas  and  said:  "Reach 
hither  thy  finger,  and  behold  my 
hands;  and  reach  hither  thy  hand, 
and  thrust  it  into  my  side:  and  be 
not  faithless,  but  believing."  Thom- 
as, beholding  the  Lord,  said:  "My 
Lord  and  my  God." 

And  then  the  Savior  said  unto 
him:  "Thomas,  because  thou  hast 
seen  me,  thou  hast  believed:  blessed 
are  they  that  have  not  seen,  and  yet 
have  believed."  (John  20:27,  28, 
29.) 

And  that  is  the  testimony  of  the 
Christ  which  must  come  to  most  of 
us,  the  testimony  of  believing  with- 
out seeing,  a  testimony  which  the 
Lord  blessed.  And  this  testimony 
is  the  testimony  of  the  Spirit.  I  want 
to  read  to  you  a  few  words  spoken 
by  Paul  to  the  Corinthians.  He 
said: 

For  what  man  knoweth  the  things  of  a 
man,  save  the  spirit  of  a  man  which  is  in 
him?  even  so  the  things  of  God  knoweth 
no  man,  but  the  Spirit  of  God. 

Now  we  have  received,  not  the  spirit  of 
the  world,  but  the  spirit  which  is  of  God; 
that  we  might  know  the  things  that  are 
freely  given  to  us  of  God. 

Which  things  also  we  speak,  not  in  the 
words  which  man's  wisdom  teacheth,  but 
which  the  Holy  Ghost  teacheth;  comparing 
spiritual  things  with  spiritual. 

But  the  natural  man  receiveth  not  the 
things  of  the  Spirit  of  God:  for  they  are 
foolishness  unto  him:  neither  can  he  know 
them,  because  they  are  spiritually  dis- 
cerned.   (I  Cor.  2:11-14.) 

Later  in  his  epistle,  Paul  said: 

Know  ye  not  that  ye  are  the  temple  of 
God,  and  that  the  Spirit  of  God  dwelleth 
in  you? 

If  any  man  defile  the  temple  of  God,  him 
shall  God  destroy;  for  the  temple  of  God 
is  holy,  which  temple  ye  are. 

Let  no  man  deceive  himself.  If  any  man 
among  you  seemeth  to  be  wise  in  this 
world,  let  him  become  a  fool,  that  he  may 
be  wise. 

For  the  wisdom  of  this  world  is  foolish- 
ness with'  God.  For  it  is  written,  He  taketh 
the  wise  in  their  own  craftiness. 

And  again,  The  Lord  knoweth  the 
thoughts  of  the  wise,  that  they  are  vain. 
(I  Cor.  3:16-20.) 

(Continued  on  page  539) 

495 


Now  let  me  present  my  view  as  to 
the  meaning  of  petra  in  a  little 
more  technical  detail  than  it  has 
hitherto  been  given.  Meanwhile, 
please  bear  in  mind  that  Catholics 
of  great  reputation  in  centuries  past 
have  not  agreed  that  the  word  refers 
to  Peter.  St.  Jerome  and  Augustine 
are  sufficient  witnesses  of  that  fact. 
Moreover,  Protestant  scholars  have 
argued  with  great  learning,  some 
agreeing  with  the  Catholics,  that  the 
word  does  refer  to  Peter,  others  that 
it  means  something  else,  as  we  have 
already  seen;  however,  practically 
all  agree  among  themselves  that  the 
Roman  church  has  made  a  wrong 
application  of  the  word,  even  if  it 
does  refer  to  the  man  of  rock.  In 
the  midst  of  all  the  confusion,  the 
Latter-day  Saints  point  out  that 
scholarship  and  tradition  have  not 
cleared  up  the  problem;  only  a  new 
revelation  could  do  that.  We  believe 
that  Joseph  Smith,  the  living  oracle 
of  God,  gave  the  true  answer.  Rev- 
elation or  the  principle  of  seership 
is  what  petra  refers  to.  Once  in  pos- 
session of  the  key  to  the  problem, 
Mormon  scholars  can  proceed  to 
strengthen  the  position  of  the 
Church  in  the  eyes  of  men.  It  is 
wonderful  how  simple  a  riddle  can 
be,  once  you  receive  the  solution  to 
it!  Let  us  hark  back  to  Matthew 
16:16-17,  for  a  moment.  It  will  be 
recalled  that  Peter's  famous  answer, 
"Thou  art  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the 
living  God,"  so  pleased  our  Lord 
that  he  blessed  him  by  saying: 

Blessed  art  thou,  Simon  Bar-jona:  for 
flesh  and  blood  [mortal  man]  hath  not 
revealed  it  unto  thee,  but  my  Father  which 
is  in  heaven.     (Italics  author's.) 

Why  was  the  Savior  pleased? 
Few  or  no  commentators  would  dis- 
agree with  me  when  I  say  that  it 
was  because  he  found  Peter  in  such 
a  spiritual  state  that  his  mind  could 
be  marvelously  illumined  from  heav- 
en. Peter's  revelation  was  the  rea- 
son. Only  the  Father  would  mani- 
fest the  Son.  (Matthew  11:27;  I 
Cor.  12:3.)  Having  felicitated  Pe- 
ter, the  Lord  proceeds  to  add  the 
important  words  we  have  been  con- 
sidering : 

And  I  tell  you,  you  are  Petros,  and  upon 
this  petra  I  will  build  my  church;  .  .  . 

"VTow  let  us  consider  the  play  on 
words,  petros-petra.   Any  com- 
petent Greek  scholar  will  admit  that 
the    two    words    are,    not    different 


Uke 


eaviin 


f 


Of 


PETER'S  CONFESSION 

Dm  ^)ianeu  US.  S^perm,  f^n.<JJ. 


DIRECTOR  OF  RELIGIOUS  INSTRUCTION 
BRIGHAM  YOUNG  UNIVERSITY 


Part  II 


forms  of  the  same  thing.  That  is  to 
say,  petros  and  petra  are  two  dis- 
tinct words,  as  distinct  in  Greek  as 
pebble  and  boulder  ate  two  distinct 
English  words.  Petra  in  Greek  is 
not  equivalent  to  petros  any  more 
than  a  pebble  is  the  same  as  a  boul- 
der. Had  the  Greek  writer  or  trans- 
lator— assuming  Matthew  to  be  a 
Greek  translation  of  a  Hebrew  or 
Aramaic  original — meant  to  convey 
the  idea  that  Peter  was  the  rock 
upon  which  the  Church  was  to  be 
built,  he  would  doubtless  have  writ- 
ten either,  ".  .  .  you  are  Petros,  and 
upon  this  P&tros  I  will  build  my 
church  .  .  ."  or  ".  .  .  you  are  Petros, 
and  upon  you  will  I  build  my 
church.  .  .  ."  (Italics  author's.)  That 
the  writer  meant  to  convey  a  differ- 
ent idea  is  shown  in  the  fact  that  he 
wrote  Petros  and  petra,  having  quite 
different  meanings.  A  good  Greek 
lexicon  such  as  the  new  edition  of 
Liddell  and  Scott  will  show  that 
petros  is  used  in  poetic  literature  and 
usually  has  reference  to  rocks  that 
can  be  held  in  the  hand.  It  may 
even  refer  to  a  kind  of  reed.  An  ex- 
planation is  added  that  "the  usual 
prose  word  is  lithos,"  Petra,  on  the 
other  hand,  is  shown  generally  to 
mean  a  mass  of  live  parent  rock 
such  as  cliffs,  ledges,  etc.  In  fact, 
petros  is,  in  the  nature  of  things, 
bound  to  be  a  piece  of  rock  derived 
from  the  parent  mass  of  rock,  petra. 
In  view  of  the  considerable  differ- 
ence in  usage  between  petros  and 
petra,  we  are  justified  in  concluding 
that  the  feminine  petra  was  in- 
tended by  the  writer  of  the  Greek 
text  to  refer  to  something  other  than 
Peter,  the  man  of  rock.  What,  then, 
is  the  antecedent  of  petra  in  the 
Greek  text? 

In  view  of  the  fact  that  our  Lord 
was  so  pleased  with  the  revelatory 
or  "seeric"  powers  of  Peter,  what 
could  be  more  reasonable  than  to 


believe  that  by  petra  he  had  refer- 
ence to  the  fundamental  principle 
of  seership  or  revelation?  That  is 
the  great  mother  rock  or  principle 
upon  which  the  Church  should  be 
built. 

One  more  thing  about  the  text 
we  have  considered:  It  has  been 
indicated  already  that  some  scholars 
believe  it  to  have  been  written  orig- 
inally in  Aramaic,  others  in  Greek. 
As  for  myself,  I  cannot  help  be- 
lieving that  Matthew  was  written  in 
Aramaic  and  afterward  translated 
into  Greek.  If  this  view  is  correct, 
it  is  all  the  more  surprising  to  find 
a  translator  rendering  two  identical 
Aramaic  words,  kepha-kepha,  re- 
spectively into  petros-petra,  which 
are  far  from  being  identical. 
Couldn't  the  reason  be  that  he  rec- 
ognized the  true  significance  of  the 
Aramaic  play  on  words  and  tried  to 
make  it  more  obvious  in  the  Greek? 


I"  et  us  discuss  another  part  of 
Christ's  answer  to  Peter,  par- 
ticularly "and  the  gates  of  hell  shall 
not  prevail  against  it  [the  Church]." 
This  part  of  his  answer  has  been 
grievously  misinterpreted  in  many 
churches.  Most  persons,  following 
early  commentators,  have  taken  it 
to  mean  that  hell,  the  abode  of 
Satan  and  the  infernal  powers, 
would  join  with  the  wicked  men  in 
attempts  to  overthrow  the  Church 
but  should  not  succeed.  None  of  us 
doubts,  of  course,  that  Satan  and 
his  legions  have  fought  and  will 
continue  to  fight  God's  work.  Nev- 
ertheless, this  is  not  what  the  scrip- 
ture means.  Dr.  Hugh  Nibley,  in 
his  article,  "Baptism  for  the  Dead 
in  Ancient  Times,"  which  appeared 
in  The  Improvement  Era  for  De- 
cember 1948,  has  discussed  it  at 
length  and  given,  I  believe,  the  true 
solution  to  the  passage.  However, 
let  me  review  it  again  in  my  own 

THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


way  before  passing  on.  The  "gates 
of  hell"  is  rendered  in  the  Greek 
by  the  figurative  expression  "the 
gates  of  Hades,"  and  in  the  Aramaic 
by  the  well-known  Hebrew  equiva- 
lent, "gates  of  Sheol."  By  "Hades" 
the  ancient  Greeks  meant  the  abode 
of  the  dead.  The  ancient  Hebrews 
also  regarded  "Sheol"  as  the  abode 
of  the  departed.  They  viewed  it, 
generally  speaking,  as  a  subter- 
ranean citadel  with  great  gates, 
which  would  open  to  receive  the 
spirits  of  the  dead  but  would  never 
open  to  permit  them  to  leave.  In 
"gates  of  Hades"  and  "gates  of 
Sheol"  we  simply  have  an  ancient 
form  of  speech  which  means  the 
power  of  the  kingdom  of  death. 
Jesus  simply  meant  then,  that  the 
powers  of  death  should  not  over- 
power or  prevail  against  the  Church. 
The  gates  will  be  opened,  permitting 
the  dead  to  leave  Sheol. 


In  the  ancient  Coptic  version  of 
the  passage,  we  find  this  interesting 
rendition:  "The  gates  of  Amenti 
shall  not  have  power  against  it."  In 
Egyptian  the  word  Amenti  has  ref- 
erence to  the  West,  which  was  the 
place  where  the  dead  went.  It  will 
be  remembered  that  during  World 
War  I  soldiers  were  prone  to  say 
that  fallen  companions  had  "gone 
West."  This  is  our  modern  version 
of  an  old  speech  custom. 

In  Matthew  16:19  our  Lord 
speaks  of  the  "keys  of  the  king- 
dom of  heaven,"  which  would  give 
power  either  to  bind  or  loose  in 
heaven  or  earth.  What  is  meant  by 
the  "keys  of  the  kingdom"?  We  be- 
lieve that  it  refers  to  certain  presid- 
ing and  organizing  powers  con- 
ferred on  Peter  in  relation  to  the 
work  of  the  Church.  It  should  be 
noticed  that  Jesus  did  not  at  once 
confer  those  powers  on  Peter.    "I 


End  of  the  Via  Dolorosa — the  oldest  section  of  Jerusalem,  with  its  arched,  narrow  streets. 


— Alice  Schalek  from  Three  Lion* 


will  give  thee  the  keys  .  .  ."  is  what 
he  said.  Moreover,  it  should  be  ob- 
served that  Peter  was  not  the  only 
one  in  due  time  to  receive  keys.  In 
Matthew  18:18,  we  find  the  Christ 
saying  to  his  appointed  Twelve: 

Verily  I  say  unto  you,  Whatsoever  ye 
shall  bind  on  earth  shall  be  bound  in  heav- 
en: and  whatsoever  ye  shall  loose  on 
earth  shall  be  loosed  in  heaven. 

How  is  this  scripture  to  be  ex- 
plained in  view  of  the  promise  made 
to  Peter?  Our  friends  in  the  Roman 
church  explain  it  thus:  This  extra- 
ordinary authority  was  granted  to 
the  other  Apostles,  because  of  the 
needs  of  the  Primitive  Church.  But 
Christ,  they  add,  did  not  make  the 
other  Apostles  equal  to  Peter,  who 
had  been  made  their  supreme  head. 
Our  Lord  made  them  the  founda- 
tion of  the  Church  in  a  secondary 
or  relative  manner  only:  he  does  not 
bestow  unlimited  jurisdiction  on 
them,  as  he  does  on  Peter.  Before 
being  invested  with  their  great  pow- 
ers, which  ceased  at  death,  they  had 
been  placed  under  a  superior,  who 
was  to  be  for  them  what  Jesus  had 
been.  Christ's  words  to  Peter  reach 
beyond  him.  They  were  to  apply 
to  all  his  successors  to  the  end  of 
time  as  the  Catholic  Church  has  al- 
ways maintained.  Peter's  privilege 
was  not  to  stop  with  him,  but  to  pass 
to  all  pontiffs  who  succeeded  him 
in  the  see  of  Rome.' 

We  shall  see  presently  whether 
this  is  the  most  reasonable  explana- 
tion. When  did  the  Christ  confer 
the  promised  "keys"  on  Peter? 
Catholics  and  Protestants  alike  do 
not  know.  But  Joseph  Smith,  we 
believe,  had  the  facts  revealed  to 
him.   He  said: 

The  priesthood  is  everlasting.  The 
Savior,  Moses,  and  Elias,  gave  the  keys  to 
Peter,  James,  and  John,  on  the  mount, 
when  they  were  transfigured  before  him. 
(D.H.C..  Ill,  387.  Cf.  D.  &  C.  63:20-21.) 

In  other  words,  the  Savior,  in 
company  with  Moses  and  Elijah, 
conferred  these  keys  on  Peter, 
James,  and  John  about  a  week  after 
he  had  promised  them  to  Peter. 
( Matthew  17:1.)  What  could  be  a 
more  appropriate  time  than  that  of 
the  transfiguration  to  confer  the 
keys?  This  was  one  of  the  most  im- 

5See,  for  example,  L.  C.  Fillion,  S.S.,  Consultor 
of  the  Pontifical  Biblical  Commission,  The  Life  of 
Christ,  II,  543,  544.  Incidentally,  this  work  in  three 
volumes  is,  in  my  opinion,  one  of  the  finest  reference 
works  on  the  life  of  Christ  ever  published.  B.  Herder 
Book  Co.,   15  and  17  South  Broadway,  St.  Louis,  Mo. 

(Continued  on  page  498) 
497 


THE  MEANING  OF  PETER'S  CONFESSION 


portant  acts  of  the  Savior's  public 
ministry.  And  Fillion  rightly  points 
out  that  the  transfiguration  was  the 
highest  point  of  the  Savior's  public 
life.  (Ibid.,  II,  554.) 

What  were  the  roles  played  by 
Moses  and  Elias  (Elijah)  at  the 
transfiguration?  (Matthew  17:3,4.) 
Moses  probably  conferred  certain 
keys  pertaining  to  the  gathering  of 
Israel  on  Peter,  James,  and  John. 
Elijah,  on  the  other  hand,  must  have 
given  to  them  keys  of  the  sealing 
powers  pertaining  to  the  living  and 
the  dead.  Latter-day  Saints  have 
had  revealed  to  them  that  Elijah 
held  such  keys;  these  permitted  the 
ancient  Saints  to  be  married  for  time 
and  eternity  and  to  enter  into  holy 
places  for  the  purpose  of  performing 
baptisms  and  other  gospel  ordi- 
nances for  the  dead.  These  ordi- 
nances were  necessary  for  the  right- 
eous dead  if  the  "gates  of  Sheol" 
were  not  to  "prevail"  against  them. 
Thus  the  keys  delivered  to  Peter, 
James,  and  John  had  saving  powers 
beyond  the  grave.  This  fact  ex- 
plains I  Corinthians  15:29,  which 
passage  has  been  an  enigma  to  most 
New  Testament  commentators: 

Otherwise,  what  do  people  mean  by  be- 
ing baptized  on  behalf  of  the  dead?  If 
the  dead  are  not  raised  at  all,  why  are 
people  baptized  on  their  behalf?  (Revised 
Standard  Version.) 

In  other  words,  the  Primitive 
Church  held  the  keys  which  made  it 
possible  for  saving  ordinances  to  be 
done  vicariously  for  the  dead  who 
receive  the  gospel  beyond  the  grave 
and  cannot  attend  to  their  own  bap- 
tisms and  endowments.  These  must 
be  performed  on  this  side  of  the 
grave.  It  will  thus  be  perceived  that 
the  "keys"  and  the  binding  and 
loosing  powers  promised  by  the 
Savior  are  of  tremendous  scope  and 
importance.  Only  a  new  revelation 
could  impart  their  full  significance 
to  us,  because  the  New  Testament 
reveals  very  little  concerning  them. 


ceived  the  promised  keys?    Keep  in 
mind  that  the  New  Testament  evi- 
dence shows  that  all  of  the  Twelve 
received    keys.      (Matthew    16:19; 
18:18.)    I  have  to  disagree  emphati- 
cally with  Fillion  ( see  above )  when 
he  claims  that  the  Christ  did  not 
bestow  unlimited  jurisdiction  on  the 
other  Apostles  as  he  did  on  Peter. 
Who   said   so?     Certainly  not  the 
New  Testament.  Moreover,  he  ( Fil- 
lion) is  going  beyond  the  evidence 
when  he  holds  that  Peter  was  to  be 
for  his  fellow  Apostles  what  Christ 
had   been    for   them.    When    Paul 
withstood   Peter  "to  the  face,  be- 
cause he  was  to  be  blamed,"  it  does 
not  appear  that  the  Apostle  to  the 
Gentiles  regarded  the  "Rock"  as  be- 
ing in  the  place  of  Christ.    ( Gala- 
tians  2:11.   See  also  II  Cor.  11:5.) 
Furthermore,   the   New  Testament 
says  nothing  about  Peter's  primacy, 
nor  does  it  imply  that  such  was  to 
be    passed    to    any    pontiffs    who 
should  succeed  him  in  the  see  of 
Rome.     In   view    of   the    fact   that 
Fillion  says  that  Christ's  words  to 
Peter    were    to    apply    to    all    his 
(Peter's)  successors,  may  it  not  be 
wise    to    ask,    "Who    were    to   be 
Peter's  successors?"    When  and  if 
Peter  passed  away,  is  it  not  reason- 
able to  believe  that  all  of  his  special 
powers  would  revert  to  the  remain- 
ing  members   of   the  Twelve  who 
held  the  keys  and  who  had  been 
special    witnesses    of    the    Christ? 
Who  can  produce  a  shred  of  evi- 
dence   that    after     Peter's     death, 
Linus,     Anacletus,     Clement,     and 
other  so-called  "successors  of  Pe- 
ter" ever  gave  orders  or  directions 
to  the  remaining    members   of  the 
Twelve?    Is  it  not  remarkable  that 
during    the   so-called   bishopric   of 
Saint  Clement  of  Rome  (A.D.  92- 
101.   Cayre,  Patrology,  I,  52 ) ,  John 
the  Revelator  was  receiving  visions 
and  revelations  and  giving  counsel 
to  the  seven  churches  of  Asia  ( Rev. 
1:4)?     John   could   receive   visions 
and   revelations,   but  his   supposed 


W 


rE  have  considered  the  Latter- 
day  view  as  to  the  time  Peter 
and  his  companions  received  the 
keys  spoken  of  by  our  Lord,  and 
also  a  little  description  has  been 
given  concerning  the  nature  of  the 
binding  and  loosing  powers.  Now 
what  was  the  relation  of  Peter  to 
his  fellow  Apostles  when  he  re- 
498 


THE  DEEPEST  WELL 
By  Dorothy  J.  Roberts 

'"F'he  young  heart  quails  at  silence, 
■*■    Finds  it  emptiness; 
The  wise  receive  from  winter 
Deep,  still  blessedness. 

May  the  heart  grow  patient, 
The  spirit  understand, 
Silence  is  a  well  of  wisdom 
Deep  upon  the  land. 


superior  in  office,  the  supposed  "suc- 
cessor to  Peter,"  St.  Clement,  could 
not,  for  does  not  Cardinal  Gibbons 
say: 

The  Apostles  were  endowed  with  the  gift 
of  inspiration,  and  we  accept  their  writings 
as  the  revealed  word  of  God.  .  .  .  No  Cath- 
olic, on  the  contrary,  claims  that  the  pope 
is  inspired,  or  endowed  with  divine  revela- 
tion properly  so-called.  ( The  Faith  o/  Our 
Fathers,  p.  146.) 

Is  it  not  hard  to  believe,  under 
these  circumstances,  that  Clement 
was  a  "successor  to  Peter"  when  he 
could  not  do  what  his  supposed  sub- 
ordinate, John,  was  able  to  do  for 
the  Church,  by  giving  revelations 
for  his  benefit  and  blessing? 

I  emphasize  that  in  the  light  of 
the  New  Testament  and  later 
Church  history  it  is  very  reasonable 
to  assume  that  the  relationship  of 
Peter  to  the  other  members  of  the 
Twelve  was  this:  Peter  stood  at 
the  head  of  the  Twelve  in  much  the 
same  sense  that  a  chairman  stands 
at  the  head  of  a  board  of  directors. 
Should  the  chairman  die,  the  board 
of  directors  does  not  fold  up.  It 
simply  takes  over  the  powers  as- 
sumed by  the  chairman.  If  we  com- 
pare the  directors  to  the  ancient 
Apostles,  we  have  a  close  analogy 
to  the  relationship  that  existed  be- 
tween Peter  and  his  immediate  com- 
panions. Peter  was  the  presiding 
authority,  and  when  he  was  slain, 
his  fellow  Apostles  took  over  the 
presiding  authority  held  by  him. 
Moreover,  there  is  no  proof  that 
they  ever  passed  it  on  to  any  other 
person  or  persons.  They  knew  that 
the  hour  of  anti-Christ  was  at  hand. 
(I  John  2:18.) 

Seen  purely  from  the  Latter-day 
Saint  point  of  view,  the  above 
paragraph  may  be  amended  some- 
what. As  we  have  already  seen, 
Peter,  James,  and  John  received  the 
keys  of  the  kingdom  conjointly  upon 
the  mount  of  transfiguration.  They 
doubtless  became  the  presiding  quo- 
rum over  the  Primitive  Church  at  a 
later  time  (Cf.  D.  &  C.  107:22;  7: 
7;  27:12,  13;  Galatians  2:9)  with 
Peter  as  the  presiding  officer.  (Cf. 
D.  &  C.  107:65,  66.)  Keep  in  mind 
that  James  and  John  must  have  held 
the  keys  equally  with  Peter  in  this 
quorum.  (Cf.  D.  &  C.  90:6.)  At 
Peter's  death  the  remaining  mem- 
bers of  the  Twelve  held  power  with- 
{Conduded  on  page  537) 

THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


^y~vi  the  Ljoocl  \yld  S^>v 


vunmenume: 


w 


l 


August  is  here — the  last  month  of 
summer.  Thirty-one  days  in 
b  which  to  harvest  summer! 
You've  been  counting  a  lot  on  this 
last  month.  June  was  over  before 
you  knew  it,  and  July  was  wonder- 
ful, but  it  was  filled  with  vacations 
within  vacations,  and  the  heat  and 
activity  were  intense.  It's  strange 
that  no  matter  how  well  you  try  to 
remember  and  plan  for  the  days  of 
July,  you  are  always  limper  than  you 
think.    Not  so  in  August! 

A  lovely  month!  In  the  first  place, 
by  August  you're  getting  used  to 
the  temperature,  and  you're  begin- 
ning to  feel  really  firm  about  all 
your  summer  resolves.    You  begin 


By  MARY  BRENTNALL 


So  let's  turn  the  page  on  July  and 
open  to  that  beautiful  inviting  month 
of  August. 

Have    you    thought    of    making 
yourself  a  calendar?  The  long,  hard 


let's  Talk  It  Over 


labor  was  done  for  you  in  ages  past 
— the  determining  of  the  seasons 
and  the  years — the  months  and  the 
days.    The  spacing  of  seconds  and 


actually  to  do  something  about  the 
things  you  hoped  to  accomplish  in 
summer.  Whether  you  planned  on 
getting  a  sun  tan  or  painting  a  pic- 
ture —  on  improving  your  tennis 
stroke  or  picking  more  fruit  than 
anyone  else  in  your  world — on  win- 
ning the  4-H  awards,  becoming  the 
most  honorable  of  Honor  Bees,  or 
making  that  final  climb  to  Eagle 
scouthood  —  you  probably  haven't 
done  quite  as  well  as  you  hoped  up 
to  now.  But  August  is  another 
chance — a  lovely  final  opportunity. 

AUGUST  1949 


—Photo  by  U.S.  Forest  Service 

minutes  and  hours.  All  the  heavy 
work  was  handed  to  you  "for  free" 
— all  the  drudgery  and  mathematics 
and  cross-eyed  peering  through 
telescopes.  Yours  is  the  fun.  How 
about  making  a  calendar  something 
like  this: 

A  ugust  1.  Sit  down  and  plan  just 
how  much  more  work  you  need 
to  do  in  order  to  lift  your  end  of  the 
family  load?  Have  you  been  doing 
it?  Just  what  were  your  assignments 
this  summer — dishes,  ironing,  bak- 


ing, milking,  irrigating,  carrying  a 
paper  route — just  what  were  they? 
There's  only  this  month  left  to  give 
your  family  a  fair  return.  What 
about  it? 

August  2.  Set  your  alarm  at  the 
exact  hour  you've  decided  to  get  up, 
and  do  it.  Get  up  when  it  rings. 
Yesterday  you  turned  it  off  and 
went  back  to  sleep.  But  no  more  of 
that.  This  is  the  last  lovely  month 
of  summer — August.  Have  you  been 
up  at  sunrise  this  year  to  hear  the 
birds,  to  smell  the  dew  on  the 
field,  to  pick  a  ripe  melon  for 
breakfast,  to  walk  barefooted  in 
the  grass?  Yesterday  your  alarm 
woke  your  dad.  He  didn't  mind  too 
much — he  got  up  and  went  to  work. 
But  he  didn't  enjoy  the  morning. 
He  was  too  tired.  You're  not  too 
tired  to  look  and  listen  and  feel  and 
see.  Get  up  and  out.  When  you 
come  in,  read  the  eighty-eighth  sec- 
tion of  the  Doctrine  and  Covenants. 
You'll  know  what  it  means — at  least 
part  of  it. 

August  3.  Now  tackle  the  other 
end  of  the  day.  You  need  fun  and 
recreation  —  singing  and  dancing 
and  laughing.  But  it  has  to  end 
sometime  —  now  doesn't  it?  So 
there's  no  reason  why  it  shouldn't 
end  before  midnight  instead  of  after. 
Actually  there  are  a  dozen  reasons 
why  it  should  end  at  11 :00  p.m.  in- 
stead of  1 :00  a.m.  There  are  a  hun- 
dred reasons  why  it  is  better  to  fin- 
ish at  10:00  p.m.  than  at  2:00  a.m. 
(if  you  must  decide  between  one  or 
the  other).  And  if  there  is  the  re- 
motest possibility  that  the  party 
goes  on  until  3:00  a.m.,  pass  it  all 
up  firmly  and  go  to  bed  at  9:00  p.m. 
Surprising?  Goodness,  kids,  read 
that  eighty-eighth  section  of  the 
Doctrine  and  Covenants  all  over 
again.  You  need  sleep.  Work  hard 
enough  all  day  to  want  to  get  that 
sleep  before  midnight. 

August  4.  A  day  to  practise. 
Practise  what?  Anything  —  piano, 
bass  viol,  auto  harp,  yodeling,  fox 
trot,  ballet,  raspa,  jackknife  diving, 
penmanship  —  anything  in  which 
you  want  to  perfect  your  skill.  Prac- 
tise twice  as  long  today  as  you 
planned,  to  make  up  for  some  of  the 
(Continued  on  page  500) 
499 


(Continued  from  page  499) 
days  you've  missed,  and  then  deter- 
mine not  to  miss  again  (except  on 
Sunday)  this  month.    And  what  a 
glorious  month  you'll  give  yourself. 

August  5.  Write  a  list  of  five 
things  you  fear  to  do.  Pick  the  one 
you  most  want  to  do  and  do  it. 
Establish  sane  precautions  and  then 
be  brave.  Please  don't  misunder- 
stand me.  I'm  not  suggesting  that 
you  scale  that  unscalable  cliff  or 
drive  ninety  miles  an  hour  down  the 
main  thoroughfare  —  or  any  other 
stupid  foolhardy  venture,  but  get 
the  weight  of  at  least  one  fear  off 
your  hunched  shoulders  and  quak- 
ing knees.  Listen  carefully  to  in- 
struction, have  someone  stand  by 
and  then  take  that  first  dive  in  the 
pool.  March  right  up  to  that  girl 
that  you've  been  dodging — and  yet 
wanting  to  date — and  ask  her  out. 
This  is  the  day.  And  good  luck! 

August  6.  Plan  a  real  "bang  up" 
party — one  so  full  of  fun  and  sur- 
prises that  no  one  will  be  bored. 
Pick  your  crowd,  plan  your  enter- 
tainment. Take  time  to  hunt  clever 
ideas — a  hobo  hike,  a  hayrack  ride 
in  circles,  a  canyon  party  with  the 
invitations  in  cryptograms  (not  too 
hard  ones,  please),  a  "cook-out" 
using  aluminum  foil.  A  party  is 
worth  making  memorable.  Eat  a 
marshmallow  that  has  been  toasted 
on  the  end  of  a  "just-right"  twig. 
End  it  all  with  singing.  Nothing  is 
more  romantic  than  singing  under 
the  moon  or  stars.  And  end  it  early. 
Take  a  tip  from  that  music  festival 
at  June  conference  that  left  you 
wanting  more  because  it  stopped 
just  a  minute  too  soon.  Don't  ever 
let  anything  drag  out  to  a  yawning 
love  stage.  This  is  a  hint  to  wise 
gals  and  fellows. 

August  7.  A  day  for  reading. 
Start  a  new  section  of  the  scriptures 
— or  finish  one  that  you  have  al- 
ready started.  How  about  the  Book 
of  Mosiah  from  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon? Or  if  you've  been  ambitious 
and  recently  read  that,  try  Third 
Nephi  all  over  again.  Or  try  the 
Psalms.   Soothing  yet  powerful. 

August  8.  This  is  a  wonderful 
day  to  do  a  little  organizing.  Go 
through  your  closets  and  cupboards 
and  drawers.  Fix  up  all  the  things 
that  need  cleaning  or  pressing  or 
mending.  Sort  out  the  family  games. 
Check  the  fruit  storage  space  for 
500 


IN  THE  GOOD  OID  SUMMERTIME 

Mother.  Tidy  the  attic  room. 
Straighten  the  basement.  Is  your 
fishing  tackle  ready  and  at  hand?  Is 
your  hunting  gear  assembled?  Is 
your  camping  equipment  invento- 
ried? Any  or  all  of  these  is  the  order 
of  the  day. 

August  9.  Yesterday  you  started, 
but  we're  sure  that  you  didn't  finish 
all  of  this  checking.  Hunt  up  the 
garden  tools  and  wipe  them  with  oil 
— helps  that  rusty  situation.  And 
while  the  oil  can  is  in  your  hand, 
how  about  a  little  of  its  ease  on 
those  door  hinges  that  sound  like 
Inner  Sanctum! 

August  10.  While  you're  in  the 
mood,  won't  you  put  the  tools  where 
they  belong?  Hunt  and  replace 
missing  items  and  then  just  to  prove 
that  you  have  great  skill,  mend  that 


AUGUST 
By  Iris  W.  Schow 

She  of  the  steady  hand,  mature,  sedate, 
A  touch  of  Mona  Lisa  in  her  smile, 

Gives  earth  those  days  of  peace  com- 
mensurate 

With  summer's  fruitage.  Now  for  mile  on 
mile 

The  burdened  boughs  yearn  earthward, 
while  the  peach 

Absorbs  new  sweetness,  and  the  winnowed 
grain, 

Refined  gold  of  the  land,  pours  into  each 

Gargantuan  receptacle  again. 

While  earth  provides  for  dormant  days  to 

come, 
Let  the  warm,  fruitful  weeks  tread  calmly 

by; 
This  time  of  opulence  is  optimum 
For  steady  pace  and  inward-looking  eye: 
These  hours  when  earth  makes  certain  of 

her  goal 
Are  meant  for  the  appraisal  of  the  soul. 


electric  cord,  replace  that  missing 
screw  in  the  toaster,  fix  that  loose 
screen  that's  been  tempting  flies  into 
mother's  spick  kitchen.  If  you  do 
all  of  this,  the  merest  hint  will  get 
you  your  favorite  devil's  food  cake 
as  a  reward.  You  might  even  bake 
it  yourself — if  you've  learned  how! 

August  1 1 .  This  is  cooking  spe- 
cialty day.  Last  week  you  asked  why 
your  fudge  went  grainy.  Wouldn't 
it  have  been  better  to  find  out  ahead 
of  time  and  exercise  every  necessary 
precaution  instead  of  asking  after- 
ward? But  fudge  is  something  that 
is  definitely  old-time,  college-girl 
stuff.  Why  not  make  a  really  beau- 
tiful spaghetti  dish  and  the  choicest 
of  salads  and  surprise  the  family 
with  a  special  porch  party.    Be  ye 


girl  or  be  ye  boy,  you  can  do  it,  and 
your  parents  will  love  it. 

August  12.  While  you  were 
learning  to  cook,  did  you  learn  to 
clean  up?  It's  more  than  washing 
dishes.  It's  keeping  the  place  cleared 
as  you  go.  Utensils  beg  to  be 
whisked  clean  and  put  away  as  they 
are  used.  Then  it's  easy  to  arise 
from  dinner  and  handle  the  dishes- 
minus  the  delaying  dread  of  a  messy 
kitchen.   Try  it. 

August  13.  Is  it  hard  to  get  up 
early  for  your  priesthood  meeting? 
It  won't  be  half  as  hard  if  your 
clothes  are  in  order  and  at  hand — 
if  you've  visited  the  barber  and  had 
that  hair  cut — if  you've  taken  time 
to  look  over  your  lessons  for  the 
Sabbath.  Such  thoughtful  prepara- 
tion on  Saturday  is  like  a  prelude 
that  sets  the  spirit  for  Sunday.  Play 
yours  well.  It's  a  nice  tune.  You'll 
hum  it  contendedly  as  you  bathe  and 
pull  up  a  clean  sheet  on  a  young 
man  clean  in  mind  and  body — ready 
for  the  early  hours  of  a  hallowed 
day. 

August  14.  Take  an  hour  and 
really  think  over  this  day  and  what 
it  can  mean  to  you  in  your  life.  A 
growing  number  of  young  men  and 
women  are  lending  their  weight  to 
eliminating  sporting  events  such  as 
baseball  games  and  tennis  tourna- 
ments from  the  Sunday  program. 
You  can  save  a  lot  of  time  and  en- 
ergy if  you  establish  your  Sunday 
standards  now  so  that  you  need 
never  worry  about  them  again  as 
long  as  you  live.  Learn  what  is  ex- 
pected of  you  and  what  you  believe, 
and  then  stand  firm. 

August  15.  Persuade  Dad  and 
Mother  to  take  a  day  or  two  for  a 
real  family  camping  trip.  You  don't 
need  fancy  equipment,  but  it  is  good 
to  have  a  tent  or  its  equivalent.  It 
is  good  to  have  sleeping  bags  or 
bedding  rolls,  a  first-aid  kit,  plain 
food,  and  some  arrangements  for 
cooking  and  refrigerating  it.  Plan 
simply  but  well.  Get  all  heads  to- 
gether. It  will  be  something  to  re- 
member all  of  your  lives. 

August  16.  This  is  a  good  eve- 
ning to  try  out  your  prowess  in 
square  dancing.  It's  fun.  Take  the 
trouble  to  dress  the  part — blue  jeans 
and  a  plaid  shirt  for  the  boys,  a 
few  yards  of  calico  and  an  hour  or 
two  at  the  sewing  machine  for  the 

girls! 

(Continued  on  page  535) 

THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


Free  Agency  And  Social  Organization 


^futhorlt 


ananiSm, 


^Mnd  <=Jji 


emocrac 


9 


Anew  textbook  in  American  gov- 
ernment opens  with  a  phrase 
to  the  effect  that  "for  better  or 
worse"  all  men  live  in  society,  and 
that  all  societies,  for  better  or  worse, 
are  embraced  in  the  modern  state. 
A  state  may  be  based  on  the  idea 
of  freedom,  but  the  state  necessari- 
ly implies  controls,  regulations,  en- 
forcement. Where  such  controls  re- 
spect the  principle  of  freedom, 
where  authority  is  subject  to  popular 
participation,  selection,  arid  removal, 
and  to  checks  and  balances,  we  may 
assume  we  have  a  democratic  state. 
Where  the  state  is  based  on  the  idea 
of  authority,  where  its  purpose  and 
principal  objective  is  control,  where 
freedom  is  merely  incidental,  per- 
haps accidental,  where  au- 
thority is  subject  to  nothing 
but  its  own  judgment,  we 
may  assume  we  have  an  au-  T  li  a 
thoritarian  state.  1 11 0 

A  principal  source  of  po- 
litical philosophy  and  attitudes  is 
found,  historically,  in  religion  and 
religious  practice.  Much  western 
political  philosophy  is  in  heavy  debt 
to  the  sheer  weight  of  Roman  im- 
perial institutions  as  crystallized  in 
the  age  of  Constantine,  and,  cor- 
respondingly, to  the  church  organ- 
ization, practice,  and  teachings 
which  grew  out  of  the  Roman  world. 
The  idea  of  one  God  as  an  absolute 
monarch  of  the  universe,  seated 
however  wondrously  on  a  topless 
throne  sans  parts  or  passions,  con- 
tributed much  to  the  political,  as 
well  as  to  the  religious  philosophy, 
of  the  medieval  world.  From  the 
medieval  world  came  the  modern 
state  and  most  modern  churches.  It 
is  little  wonder  that  many  people, 
steeped  in  European,  especially  con- 
tinental European,  tradition  have 
difficulty  in  understanding  democ- 
racy. If  thoughtful,  they  also  have 
a  tendency  to  think  that  all  religion 
leads  automatically  to  the  concept 
of  an  authoritarian  church  as  well 
as  to  an  authoritarian  state. 

Tt  may  come   as   something   of   a 
shock  to  many  readers  of  The 
Improvement  Era  that  many  hon- 
est   observers,    while    "liking"    the 

AUGUST  1949 


BY 


Cj.   ^Afomer    ^Durham,    f-^k.*Jj. 

HEAD  OF  POLITICAL  SCIENCE  DEPARTMENT 

UNIVERSITY  OF  UTAH 


Part  Vn 
Church  and  Modern  Soci 

Latter-day  Saints,  look  askance  at 
our  Church  organization  and  gov- 
ernment as  absolutism,  as  authori- 
tarian and  totalitarian — simply  be- 
cause they  view  any  religion,  or 
religious  organization,  through  the 
spectacles  of  the  Roman-medieval 
continental  European  tradition.  Such 
persons,  while  basically  religious,  feel 
that  they  have  to  be  irreligious  if  truly 
democratic.  Accepting  democracy, 
some  feel  they  must  oppose  the  idea 
of  God's  existence;  for,  is  not  God 
an  absolute  monarch?  Who  ever 
heard  of  a  theological  system,  say 
they,  in  which  God  was  "elected" 
by  the  people  and  held  responsible 
to  them?  Therefore,  a  person,  if 
democratic,  has  to  be  so  in  opposi- 
tion to  religion,  as  the  very  idea  of 
God  leads  to  authoritarianism  and 
despotism,  however  benevolent.  It 
follows,  in  their  thinking,  that  inas- 
much as  the  Latter-day  Saints 
preach  and  think  much  about  "di- 
vine authority,"  that  although  an 
individual  Latter-day  Saint  may  be 
a  "pretty  good  fellow,"  their 
system  and  their  organization  has 
to  be  viewed  with  suspicion,  because 
it  is  essentially  authoritarian  and 
anti-democratic.  What  about  this? 
Most  of  these  people  are  impris- 


oned by  the  traditions  of  European 
culture,  in  which   God  is  pictured 
and  viewed  something  like  a  heaven- 
ly Justinian  or  Diocletian.  They  not 
only  overlook  the  basic  idea  of  the 
nature  of  God,  and  of  man,  as  held 
in  the  restored  gospel,  but  they  usu- 
ally know  their  European  political 
ideas  better  than  they  know  Ameri- 
can political  thinkers.    Many  indi- 
viduals,   even    American    scholars, 
dismiss  and  deny  the  existence  of 
any  real  American  political  philos- 
ophy in  the  sense  that  Jean  Bodin 
(1530-1596)    or    Thomas    Hobbes 
(1588-1679)    produced    the    same. 
This  is  precisely  the  point!    Bodin, 
Hobbes,  and  others  were  captured, 
held,  imprisoned  by  their  medieval 
cultural   inheritance.    They 
could  not  conceive  a  state 
or  a  society  without  its  final 
±  seat     of     authority,     from 

"  V  which  everything  else  de- 
rived, whether  law  and  au- 
thority in  the  state  or  ultimate  truth 
from  an  absolutistic  god!  How  dif- 
ferent are  the  basic  concepts  in  Lat- 
ter-day Saint  thinking,  which  in 
tracing  religious  concepts  back  to 
the  pre-existent  council  of  God 
in  organizing  and  planning  the 
present  world,  view  at  once,  the  ex- 
istence of  a  kind  of  "pluralistic" 
"pluriverse"  with  Jesus  Christ's  se- 
lection as  Savior  and  Redeemer 
resting  on  agreement  and  common 
consent,  as  well  as  the  choice  of 
God  the  Father — after  discussion 
and  debate  in  the  council;1  plus  the 
recognition  of  the  existence  of  the 
right  of  disagreement  of  the  forces 
of  Lucifer,  and  their  secession;  plus 
the  recognition  of  the  probable 
varying  degrees  of  "valiance"  and 
"consent"  ranging  in  choice  of  free 
individuals  between  Jesus  on  the  one 
hand,  Lucifer  on  the  other!  There 
grows  out  of  this  concept  the  great 
idea  of  the  probation  and  free  agen- 
cy of  man  on  this  earth — that  the 
course  of  existence  is  not  determined 


1Mention  could  also  be  made  of  the  Latter-day 
Saint  concept  of  the  plurality  of  Gods,  for  which 
traditionated  Christian  sects  have  bitterly  attacked  us, 
but  which  remains  an  essential  ingredient  of  «ui 
theology,  together  with  the  plurality  of  worlds.  See 
Joseph  Fielding  Smith  (ed. ),  Teachings  of  the  Proph- 
et Joseph  Smith,  348-355;  John  Taylor,  The  Gospel 
Kingdom.  27-29.    See  also  D.  &  C.  121:32. 

(Continued  on  page  502) 

501 


FREE  AGENCY  AND  SOCIAL  ORGANIZATION 


(Continued  from  page  501 ) 
nor  settled  in  advance,  but  that 
much  depends  on  the  individual  and 
how  he  uses  his  time  and  talent,  in 
relation  to  God,  his  fellows,  and 
himself. 

HThe  philosophy  of  American  de- 
mocracy is  rooted  in  the  doctrines 
of  "natural  rights."  John  Wise 
(1652-1725)  was  one  of  the  earliest 
and  ablest  formulators  of  these  argu- 
ments in  America.  A  congregation- 
al minister  of  Ipswich,  Massachu- 
setts, Wise,  in  1717,  published  A 
Vindication  of  the  Government  of 
the  NetV'England  Churches  in 
which  he  stoutly  defended  the  con- 
gregational principle  of  common 
consent  and  opposed  the  transfer  of 
control  of  the  churches  from  the 
members  to  the  clergy,  as  suggested 
by  Increase  and  Cotton  Mather. 
Said  Wise: 

I  shall  consider  Man  in  a  state  of  Nat- 
ural Being,  as  a  Free-Bora  Subject  under 
the  Crown  of  Heaven,  and  owing  Homage 
to  none  but  God  himself. 

He  argued  that  no  form  of  govern- 
ment had  been  particularly  pre- 
scribed by  God;  that  the  best  form 
was  that  which  suited  the  nature 
and  inclination  of  the  people,  name- 
ly, democracy.  Wise  thus  argued 
for  the  government  of  the  church. 
Implied  from  his  arguments  was  the 
notion  that  if  democracy  is  the  best 
government  for  the  church,  it  is  ob- 
viously the  best  government  for  the 
state,  for  civil  society.  His  works 
were  much  in  demand  by  the  leaders 
of  the  American  revolution. 

Wise  correctly  argued  that  man 
must  be  free,  and  unless  bound  by 
his  own  consent,  owes  "homage  to 
none  but  God  himself."  This  is 
liberal  doctrine.  But  it  is  still 
not  as  liberal  as  we  find  in  the 
restored  gospel — man's  homage  to 
God  is  a  matter  of  free,  voluntary 
choice  which  cannot  be  forced!  Al- 
though homage  may  be  owed  to  God 
in  the  sense  that  "every  knee"  shall 
bend  and  tongue  confess  Jesus,  yet 
we  have  the  pattern  of  the  council 
of  the  Gods  and  the  entire  plan  of 
salvation — that  even  when  intelli- 
gent beings  rebel  against  God,  God 
does  not  "destroy"  them.  Rebellion 
brings  sorrow,  loss,  and  evil. 
Progress  becomes  retrogression.  But 
nowhere  do  we  find  the  suggestion 
502 


that  God,  like  a  mighty  monarch, 
decrees  destruction  to  the  souls  that 
rebel  against  him.  Rather,  men  will 
destruction  upon  themselves.  We 
read,  accordingly,  about  the  "de- 
struction of  the  wicked"  on  this 
earth.  But  we  usually  interpret  it  as 
a  consequence  of  the  evil  of  men  and 
not  as  a  direct  material  intervention 
by  God.  God  respects  the  individual, 
law,  order,  justice,  and  mercy.  We 
read  about  Satan  being  "bound"  but 
not  "disintegrated"  nor  "liquidated" 
as  a  personal  being. 

|u|artin  Luther  (1483-1546) 
taught  the  leavening  doctrine 
of  "the  priesthood  of  all  believers," 
as  opposed  to  the  select  priestcraft 
against  which  he  dissented.  The 
"priesthood  of  all  believers"  became 
a  living  reality  in  the  Restored 
Church,  where  every  worthy  man 
may  receive  it  by  ordination  and 
common-consent  vote.  In  a  very 
real  sense,  therefore,  it  could  be 
maintained  that  the  inspiration  and 
power  of  God  is  to  all  men  (and 
women)  in  the  Church  of  Jesus 
Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints.  The 
story  of  the  development  of 
Latter-day  Saint  Sunday  Schools 
is  a  notable  case  among  hundreds, 
in  point,  where  men  and  women, 
"anxiously  engaged  in  a  good  cause, 
...  of  their  own  free  will . . .  bring  to 
pass  much  righteousness."  (D.  &  C. 
58:27.)  ( The  next  verse  of  the  rev- 
elation is  also  worth  quoting:  "For 
the  power  is  in  them,  wherein  they 
are  agents  unto  themselves."  [Ibid., 
58:28.  Italics  author's.]  )  In  the  case 
of  President  David  O.  McKay,  as 
a  second  assistant  in  a  stake  super- 
intendency  of  Sunday  Schools,  a 
carefully  graded  course-of -study 
system  was  worked  out  in  Ogden 


THE  ARTIST 
By  Arthur  Wallace  Peach 

She  painted  no  pictures 
That  won  her  fame; 
She  sang  no  songs 
That  brought  acclaim. 

She  wrought  in  marble 

No  artistry; 
She  did  not  dance 

Like  dreams  set  free. 

She  wrote  no  music 
That  thousands  played; 

But  what — with  joy  and  love — 
A  home  she  made! 


which  was  eventually  adopted, 
Churchwide.  Later,  President  Mc- 
Kay himself  was  called  to  become 
one  of  the  General  Authorities  of 
the  Church.2  As  a  matter  of  order  in 
government,  those  who  hold  the 
keys  of  the  priesthood  invoke  the 
common  consent  of  the  general 
membership  as  to  whether  or  not  the 
Church  will  sustain  certain  practices 
and  developments.  Sometimes  gen- 
eral Church  policies  have  roots  in 
the  field,  in  the  inspiration  and  ex- 
perience of  the  general  membership 
of  the  Church.  There  are  many  ex- 
amples of  this.  Sometimes  these 
policies  have  roots  in  direct  inspira- 
tion of  those  who  hold  the  keys  to 
the  priesthood.  There  are  also  many 
examples  of  this. 

HThe  great  political  invention  of  the 
modern  world  is  the  written  law, 
in  America  the  written  constitution, 
as  a  device  for  popular  understand- 
ing and  control  of  civil  government. 
In  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter-day  Saints  we  have  some- 
thing similar  in  the  book  of  Doctrine 
and  Covenants.  It  is  not  merely  a 
book  of  doctrine.  It  is  a  book  of 
doctrine  and  covenants.  Many  of 
the  sections,  if  not  most,  represent 
ideally,  covenants  between  God  and 
man.  But  it  is  fundamental  and  im- 
portant to  note,  that  as  canon  law 
of  the  modern  Church,  the  entire 
volume  was  adopted  by  vote  of  the 
membership  of  the  Church,  some 
things  being  included  that  did  not 
purport  to  be  revelations  from  God 
— direct  evidence  of  the  workings 
of  the  democratic  spirit."  This  is 
not  to  impugn  nor  defeat  the  reality 
of  the  doctrine  of  authority.  It  is,  in 
fact,  a  demonstration  of  the  way 
in  which  really  divine,  and  not 
psuedo-divine,  authority  actually 
operates.  The  history  of  the  rela- 
tion between  divine  authority  and 
the  doctrine  of  common  consent  in 
the  history  of  the  founding  and  or- 
ganization of  the  Church  will  dem- 
onstrate this  fact.  Our  Church  his- 
tory seems  to  indicate  that  the  real 
test  of  divine  authority-in-practice, 
lies  in  authority's  recognition  of 
and  compliance  with  the  doctrine  of 
common  consent. 

(  To  be  continued ) 

2See    Jeanette    M.    Morrell,    "The    Sunday    School 
Instructor  208-210,  243,  May  1949. 
Activities  of  President  David  O.   McKay,"  Vol.  84. 

*See  History   of   the   Church,    vol.    2,   chapter   18. 
throughout. 

THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


0  Ye  Of  Little  Faith 


The  kernel  of  this  story  has  been  told 
before,  by  far  more  competent  authors. 
Whether  it  is  true  or  not,  I  do  not 
know.  If  it  is  fiction,  I  am  sincerely  in- 
debted to  its  originator  and  here  ac- 
knowledge his  presence,  though  I  do 
not  know  his  name.  .  .  .  If  it  is  a  true 
tale,  it  deserves  a  place  in  pioneer 
literature.  Whether  fact  or  fiction,  it 
is  a  great  lesson  in  moral  courage  and 
religious  faith,  and  is  a  story  that  de- 
serves retelling,  and  remembering. 

I  heard  it  from  my  grandmother, 
Carrie  Laub  Richards;  the  adaptation 
is  my  own. 

She  was  tired — terribly  tired,  and 
discouraged.  She'd  played  all 
the  games  she  knew  how  to  play, 
over  and  over  and  over  again.  And 
so  she  sat  dejectedly  on  the  old 
wagon  wheel,  and  picked  at  the 
dwarfed  sunflowers  that  grew  be- 
tween the  spokes.  The  yellow  petals 
fell,  unheeded,  on  her  dress.  Her 
dress!  She'd  even  forgotten  that 
the  sleeves  were  striped  while  the 
rest  was  flowered.  And  it  had  been 
a  major  issue  this  morning,  when 
Mother  had  emptied  the  last  of  the 
flour  into  the  bin,  and  had  finished 
her  dress  with  the  empty  sack. 

Then  they'd  sent  her  out  to  play, 
and  told  her  not  to  bother  them  any 
more  that  day.  She  hadn't  supposed 
they  meant  lunch,  too,  so  she'd  gone 
back  when  her  little  stomach  sig- 
naled "empty."  But  her  mother 
thrust  a  shriveled  carrot  into  her 
hand  and  pushed  her  out  the  door. 
There  was  no  milk  because  the  cows 
were  starving  to  death.  The  grass 
had  all  dried  up,  and  they  had  no 
feed.  There  was  no  bread  because 
the  grain  was  dying  for  want  of 
water,  and  what  little  flour  there 
was  left  had  to  be  saved  against 
greater  need. 

She  wanted  to  play  with  Mother; 
but  Mother's  eyes  were  deep  and 
dark  and  worried  now.  She  wanted 
to  help  Daddy.  She  loved  to  run  in 
front  of  the  reapers,  and  call  to  her 
father  when  she  found  a  bird's  nest. 
It  was  nice  to  feel  the  golden  stalks 
whispering  around  her,  and  slapping 
at  her,  and  swaying  before  her  like 
the  real  gold  she  often  pretended  it 
to  be.  But  they  hadn't  been  out  to 
the  wheat  for  some  time.  And  the 
last  time  they'd  gone,  the  stalks  had 

AUGUST  1949 


&   WarlLn   U 


•J' 


jam 


been  short  and  brittle  and  snapped 
easily. 

Nothing  had  been  right  since 
then.  Everything  had  been  drying 
up.  And  as  the  earth  dried  and 
crusted,  the  people  seemed  to  be- 
come dry  and  crusty  too — and  brit- 
tle! There  was  no  whispering  or 
gentle  swaying  or  playful  slapping 
in  the  group.  Every  movement, 
every  answer  was  brittle  —  and 
snapped  easily. 

And  so  she  played  dejectedly 
with  the  sunflowers  that  grew  be- 
tween the  spokes  of  an  old  wagon 
wheel  which  lay  in  the  field  behind 
the  cabin. 

XX/hat  could  she  do  to  help?  Dad- 
dy said  everyone's  righteous  de- 
sires were  answered.  And  so  they'd 
prayed  and  prayed.  Each  night  the 
three  of  them  knelt  together,  and 
each  night  Daddy's  strong  loud 
voice  would  fill  the  room.  And  she 
would  shake  and  move  closer  to 
Mother.  Surely,  if  God  heard  any- 
one, he  would  hear  Daddy.  And 
yet  no  rain  came. 

She  looked  up  as  a  huge  foot  al- 
most stepped  on  her. 

"Hello,  Amanda."  The  stocky 
man  with  the  brown  hair  and  the 
bushy  beard  lifted  her  effortlessly 
into  his  arms.  He,  too,  was  strained 
and  tired-looking.  But  his  eyes  were 
soft  and  gentle.  "You  haven't  been 
over  to  see  any  of  my  little  boys  and 
girls,  lately." 


"Mommy  wants  me  to  stay  close 
to  home." 

"That's  a  good  girl  to  mind,"  he 
said  and  patted  her  little  shoulder. 
Then  with  the  child  still  in  his  arms, 
he  sat  down  on  the  old  wagon 
wheel.  His  eyes  and  his  thoughts 
took  in  the  heavens. 

"Sir?"  In  his  arms  she  could  only 
see  his  beard  and  cheeks. 

"Yes."  He  answered  her  as  a 
busy  father  answers  a  child,  not 
really  answering,  but  responding 
unconsciously. 

"Can  I  pray,  too?" 

He  looked  into  the  big  eyes  of 
the  child  with  surprise.  "Why,  of 
course  you  can  pray,  child.  Don't 
you  say  your  prayers  every  night?" 

"Mostly  Daddy  prays  for  us — for 
Mommy  and  me.  But  I  thought  that 
if  I  prayed,  too,  maybe  it  would 
help.  Daddy  has  to  ask  for  so  many 
other  things.  But  I  just  could  pray 
for  rain  'cause  I  don't  need  any- 
thing else." 

"Pray,  my  dear.  And  I  know  it 
will  help.  I  know  our  Father  in 
heaven  will  hear  you  and  answer. 
You  should  pray,  Amanda.  We  all 
should  pray — ."  He  stopped  short, 
gave  her  a  long,  almost  startled 
look,  and  repeated,  "We  all  should 
pray."  He  was  almost  singing  as 
he  hugged  her  little  body  to  him, 
then  set  her  on  her  feet,  and  strode 
away. 

She  watched  him  for  a  moment — 
then  dropped  to  her  knees  beside 
the  wagon  wheel,  and  folded  her 
arms  just  as  Mother  had  taught  her 
to  do. 

When  she  finished,  she  walked 
quickly  to  her  back  yard  and  picked 
up  all  the  tools  she  could  see  lying 
in  the  open  and  placed  them  under 
the  shelter.  She  dragged  the  barrow 
into  the  shed  and  had  just  tugged 
her  father's  shirt  off  the  line  when 
her  mother  called. 

"Amanda — Amanda!  Come  on! 
The  President  just  called  us  all  to 
the  Square  for  a  prayer  meeting." 

"Just  a  minute,  Mommy."  And 
she  dashed  into  the  cabin  to  search 
for  something. 

All  but  a  few  stragglers  had  ar- 
rived when  she  finally  reached 
the  Square  with  her  precious  article 
(Concluded  on  page  526) 
503 


MISSION  TO  POLYNESIA 


In  1843  Addison  Pratt  and  three 
other  elders  were  called  to  open  a 
mission  for  the  Church  among  the 
Polynesian  people  on  the  islands  of 
the  Pacific.  Knowlton  Hanks  died  and 
was  buried  at  sea,  but  Addison,  Noah 
Rogers,  and  Benjamin  F.  Gvouard 
reached  the  I  si  nd  of  Tubuai  on  April 
30,  1844,  after  spending  nearly  seven 
months  on  the  ocean.  Elders  Rogers 
and  Grouard  continued  on  to  Tahiti, 
but  Addison  remained  on  Tubuai  at 
the  request  of  the  people  to  preach  the 
gospel. 


Although  Addison  was  the  first 
white  missionary  who  had  ever 
■  lived  for  any  length  of  time 
among  the  people  of  the  island  of 
Tubuai,  missionary  work  had  been 
carried  forward  on  the  island  for 
some  fifty  years  by  representatives 
of  a  Protestant  missionary  society. 
And  although  the  society  had  done 
much  good,  including  helping  to  re- 
duce the  native  language  to  writing, 
and  translating  and  printing  the 
Bible,  still  some  of  its  representa- 
tives, Addison  heard,  were  reported 
to  be  anything  but  true  Christians. 
The  first  actual  contact  Addison 
had  with  these  missionaries  came  in 
July  after  he  had  been  on  the  island 
nearly  three  months.  Early  one 
Sabbath  morning  while  Addison 
was  in  the  village  of  Mahu,  he  re- 
ceived word  that  a  ship  was  at  Ma- 


The  Story  of  Addison  Pratt 

And  The 

Society  Islands  Mission 


&  <Jjoute  oi.   Ljt 


reeti 


ASS'T  MANAGING  EDITOR 


taura,  on  the  other  side  of  the  island. 
Immediately  he  dispatched  a  note 
to  Brother  Hill  (who  was  in  charge 
of  the  branch ) ,  asking  him  to  send  a 
message  if  there  were  any  news  of 
importance.  That  evening  the  mes- 
senger returned  with  a  letter  which 
revealed  that  missionaries  from  the 
ship  had  been  on  shore  telling  the 
people  "all  the  scandalous  reports 
that  had  ever  been  reported  about 
the  Mormons;  that  Joseph  Smith  is 
a  liar  and  a  false  prophet,  and  the 
Book  of  Mormon  is  a  lie;  that  his 
(Joseph  Smith's)  followers  worship 
him,  and  also  the  Virgin  Mary,  and 
the  Saints,  and  that  there  is  no  dif- 
ference between  the  Prophet  and 
the  Pope,  and  much  more  of  that 
stuff."  The  letter  also  stated  that 
the  members  of  the  Church  wished 
Addison  to  come  over  on  the  mor- 
row without  fail. 

ThArly  Monday  morning,  Addison, 
accompanied  by  a  number  of  na- 


tives from  Mahu,  left  for  Mataura. 
When  they  arrived,  they  were  met 
by  Church  members  and  friends, 
who  were  more  than  a  little  happy 
to  see  their  missionary.  At  the  time 
the  newly  arrived  missionaries  were 
in  the  chapel,  teaching  some  new 
hymns  to  the  people. 

Addison  and  his  friends  walked 
into  the  building  between  songs. 
After  introductions  were  made,  Ad- 
dison offered  his  hand.  "No,"  said 
one  of  the  missionaries,  "I  shall  not 
give  my  hand  until  we  are  better 
acquainted." 

Addison  said  nothing  but  sat 
down  in  front  where  he  could  "look 
them  full  in  the  face." 

After  the  services  were  over,  one 
of  the  men,  by  the  name  of  Howe, 
said  to  Addison,  "I  understand  that 
you  have  come  to  these  islands  in 
the  capacity  of  a  preacher." 

"That  I  have,"  Addison  an- 
swered. 

"I  suppose  that  you  are  aware 
that  many  years  ago  our  missionary 
society  established  a  mission  among 
these  islands  at  a  very  vast  expense." 
Then  he  continued  at  some  length, 
describing  the  work  they  had  done 
and  the  sacrifices  they  had  made. 
"And  now,"  he  continued,  "we  have 
the  Bible  translated  into  this  lan- 
guage. .  .  ." 

"And  now  that  you  have  the  Bible 
translated  into  their  language,"  Ad- 


dison  said  when  he  finished,  "are 
you  unwilling  to  have  it  preached 
to  them?" 

Taken  aback,  Mr.  Howe  an- 
swered, "No,  not  if  you  preach  the 
Bible  to  them." 

"I  preach  nothing  else,"  Addison 
said. 

"But,"  protested  the  minister,  "I 
understand  you  have  another  book 
you  call  a  bible  that  you  teach  them 
from." 

"It  is  a  mistake,"  Addison  an- 
swered. "We  have  no  book  that 
we  call  a  bible  but  the  Old  and  New 
Testament.  We  have  a  book  we 
call  the  Book  of  Mormon,  but  it  is 
no  use  to  teach  them  anything  from 
that  till  they  understand  the  Bible 
well." 

A  long  discussion  of  the  princi- 
ples of  the  gospel  followed.  Toward 
the  end  of  the  conversation  Addison 
asked  if  they  believed  in  the  second 
coming  of  Christ. 

"To  be  sure  we  do." 

"And  how  will  he  come?" 

"Precisely  as  it  says,  'But  as  the 
days  of  Noe  were,  so  shall  also  the 
coming  of  the   Son  of  man  be.'  ' 
(Matt.  24:37.) 

"And  how  was  that?"  Addison 
asked. 

"Why,  they  were  eating  and 
drinking  till  the  day  that  Noah  en- 
tered into  the  ark,  and  the  floods 
came  and  swept  them  all  away." 

"Did  it  take  them  unawares?" 

"It  did." 

"Would  it  have  come  upon  them 
so,  had  they  taken  the  warning  the 
Lord  sent  them?" 

To  this  question  the  missionary 
did  not  answer.  So  Addison  con- 
tinued: "How  was  it  in  the  days  of 
Noah?  It  was  thus:  The  Lord  raised 
up  a  prophet  and  told  him  to  go 
forth  and  warn  the  people  faithful- 
ly, and  if  they  did  not  repent  of 
their  sins  and  turn  from  their 
wicked  ways,  he  would  bring  upon 
them  a  flood  that  would  destroy 
them  all.  This  prophet  went  forth 
according  to  command,  but  the  peo- 
ple made  light  of  what  he  said,  not- 
withstanding he  was  warning  120 
years. 

"Toward  the  close  of  the  period 
God  commanded  him  to  build  an 
ark,  and  set  it  on  dry  land.  This 
was  another  warning  before  their 
eyes,  but  they  made  sport  of  it  all. 
And  the  Lord  brought  upon  them 
the   flood   as   he   promised   without 

AUGUST  1949 


Noah  ever  making  a  convert  that 
we  have  any  record  of. 

"Precisely  so  it  is  in  these  last 
days.  The  Lord  raised  up  his 
Prophet,  whose  name  is  Joseph 
Smith,  and  ordered  him  to  estab- 
lish the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  ac- 
cording to  its  original  plan.  He  has 
obeyed  the  command  and  has  sent 
forth  the  servants,  of  whom  I  am 
one,  to  warn  the  people." 

Then  holding  up  his  right  hand 
toward  heaven,  he  continued:  "I 
call  upon  the  heavenly  hosts  to 
witness  that  I  know  Joseph  Smith 
is  a  good  man  and  a  Prophet  of  the 


ADDISON  PRATT 

Lord,  and  I  know  this  work  is  pre- 
paratory to  the  second  coming  of 
Christ,  and  if  I  lie,  I  lie  in  the  name 
of  the  Lord.  Eternal  damnation,  and 
nothing  less,  is  the  penalty  for  such 
a  crime.  But  if  I  am  telling  the  truth 
and  you  heed  it  not,  you  will  have 
to  suffer  the  consequences." 

"I  roared  on  them  like  a  lion," 
Addison  wrote  in  a  letter  home. 
"I  believe  my  eyes  flashed,  for  I  felt 
as  if  I  could  swallow  them  all  at  one 
mouthful." 

Advancing  some  other  points  of 
doctrine,  Addison  offered  the  mis- 
sionaries his  Bible  to  find  scriptures 
to  confute  them.  But  the  mission- 
aries, dumbfounded  by  the  strength 
and  power  of  Addison's  testimony, 
replied  that  they  had  to  go  aboard 
the  ship.  And  anyway  they  said,  as 
long  as  Addison  preached  the  truth, 
they  would  pray  for  his  success,  but 
if  he  preached  error,  they  would 
pray  that  it  might  fall  to  the  ground. 

"Our  prayers  are  united,  then," 


Addison  said,  and  handed  them  a 
copy  of  the  Book  of  Mormon  and 
"The  Voice  of  Warning,"  a  tract 
by  Parley  P.  Pratt.  "If  you  will 
pray  for  me  6n  this  basis,  I  will  make 
the  same  prayers  for  you." 

The  three  then  hurried  out  of  the 
church  but  remained  on  the  island 
for  several  hours  before  they  re- 
turned to  the  ship. 

f")N  the  first  Sabbath  following  the 
missionaries'  visit  to  the  island, 
Addison  devoted  his  talks  to  points 
that  had  been  raised  by  them,  espe- 
cially concerning  proper  conduct, 
authority,  and  baptism.  Realizing 
the  great  power  of  proper  example, 
he  said:  "You  all  have  been  eye- 
witnesses to  my  conduct  for  more 
than  five  months,  and  you  know  well 
whether  I  have  acted  the  part  of 
a  good  man  or  a  bad  one.  So  you 
have  not  to  go  to  them  ( the  mission- 
aries) for  my  character,  nor  need  I 
tell  you  any  tales  about  them.  You 
know  well  their  precepts  and  their 
examples.  You  are  eyewitnesses 
that  I  have  taught  you  nothing  but 
what  I  practise  myself." 

The  visit  of  the  missionaries  to 
the  island  greatly  strengthened  Ad- 
dison's position,  rather  than  weak- 
ened it. 

Many  years  earlier  the  missionary 
society  had  set  aside  one  day  each 
year  for  an  annual  meeting  of  all 
the  people  on  the  island  for  the  pur- 
pose of  collecting  a  "tax"  of  arrow- 
root and  coconut  oil.  The  day  was 
set  up  to  be  one  of  feasting  and  mer- 
riment, as  an  incentive  to  the  people 
to  participate  and  contribute  large 
amounts  of  produce  to  the  society. 

In  the  year  1 844,  preparations  for 
the  feast  went  on  as  usual.  Large 
underground  ovens  were  prepared 
and  heated,  and  onto  the  hot  rocks 
to  be  covered  by  leaves  and  sand 
went  five  full  grown  pigs,  hundreds 
of  fish,  generous  amounts  of  taro 
for  pot,  and  other  vegetables. 

At  sunrise  on  the  festive  day, 
virtually  the  entire  population  of 
the  island  gathered  to  hear  a  sermon 
preached  by  Addison.  Then  the 
feast  took  place.  Addison  thought 
that  he  had  never  seen  such  great 
quantities  of  food.  It  was  served,  a 
share  to  each  of  the  families  on  the 
islands,  on  a  long  table  consisting 
of  coconut  leaves  spread  on  the 
ground.  Addison's  portion  was  half 
a  hog,  and  vegetables  in  proportion. 
No  one  could  eat  his  share  of  food, 
{Continued  on  page  532) 
505 


Brush  dam  in  the  San  Juan  River  near  Bluff.  This  particular  dam  was  built  in  1910  and  saved  Bluff  from  destruction. 


SYNOPSIS 

Tn  the  year  1851,  President  Brigham 
Young  sent  colonies  to  extend  the 
Mormon  territory  to  the  south.  Those 
who  went  had  to  fight  four  adversaries: 
the  Utes,  the  Navajos,  the  renegade  whites, 
and  nature,  which  seemed  at  times  the 
greatest  adversary  of  all.  No  treaty  with 
the  United  States  could  guarantee  the 
settlers  from  the  depredations  of  the  Nava* 
jos.  Even  Kit  Carson  who  displaced  the 
Indians  had  found  it  impossible  to  quell 
them.  Jacob  Hamblin  and  Thates  Haskell 
genuinely  loved  the  Indians,  and  time 
after  time  won  them  to  a  reluctant  peace, 
only  to  have  it  broken  again  because  of 
the  actions  of  the  renegade  whites.  But 
at  last  the  Mormons  had  begun  their 
settlement,  in  the  face  of  Indian  attack  and 
nature. 

XI 

The  Piutes  grinned  their  perfect 
security  and  took  every  un- 
guarded thing  they  wanted.  The 
coming  of  the  Mormons  to  their 
country  was  a  most  fortunate  wind- 
fall which  they  intended  to  gather  in 
spite  of  Mormon  protests,  Mormon 
guards,  and  Mormon  herders  also, 
and  with  extra  contempt,  in  spite  of 
all  the  imaginary  evils  which  Has- 
kell had  predicted  upon  them. 

Erastus  Snow  had  predicted  that 
the  unfriendly  Indians  would  melt 
away,  yet  the  most  unfriendly  of 
them  were  enjoying  good  health  and 
unusual  prosperity.  They  lived  easy 
and  fat  and  fearless.  Their  grand 
champion,  Frank,  was  the  image  of 
Navajo  affluence. 

But  the  end  was  not  yet.  These 
506 


The  Fort  on  the 


vessels  of  tribulation,  called  to  the 
peculiar  mission  of  "turning  the 
other  cheek  also,"  and  acting  as  the 
indispensable  shock  absorber  be- 
tween Utah's  older  settlements  and 
a  pack  of  threatening  evils,  were 
destined  to  be  brought  low  many 
times  within  an  inch  of  their  lives, 
but  never  to  perish  under  the  heel  of 
their  major  enemies.  True,  they  had 
not  yet  conquered  the  first  of  those 
enemies,  but  they  were  to  fight  on 
and  on,  panting  and  persisting  and 
praying  on  the  edge  of  despair. 

The  changes  which  come  in  hu- 
man fortunes  may  be  by  slow  and 
imperceptible  degrees,  but  there  are 
times  when  they  come  with  stunning 
suddenness.  That  is  the  way  they 
broke  on  the  despoilers  of  the  fort. 

A  big  Navajo  came  slowly  on  his 
pony  from  the  way  of  the  river. 
Carefully  and  pantingly  he  dis- 
mounted at  Haskell's  door  and  went 
stooping  inside  with  feeble  step.  It 
was  the  grand  champion,  Frank, 
his  vigorous  physique  blighted  like 
a  squash  in  the  frost  of  October. 
Something  in  the  nature  of  quick 
consumption  had  made  his  great 
lungs  cave  in  as  a  deflated  balloon, 
and  he  wheezed  and  gasped  for 
enough  breath  to  keep  him  alive. 

"Tell  your  God — "  he  gasped,  in 
desperation  of  appeal,  and  paused 
for  more  breath,  "tell  your  God  I've 
quit  stealing  your  horses." 


"Until  you  get  well?"  asked 
Haskell,  without  looking  up. 

"Tell  him  if  he'll  let  me  live,  I'll 
never  touch  any  of  your  horses 
again,"  and  Frank  leaned  despair- 
ingly on  the  table  as  he  delivered 
the  last  words  of  his  appeal. 

A  strange  and  deadly  malady 
seized  Norgwinup's  two  roughneck 
sons,  and  left  them  stark  and  stiff 
by  the  fire  in  the  wickiup.  A  cold 
chill  ran  through  both  tribes.  While 
the  chill  lingered,  half  a  dozen  other 
inveterate  Piute  thieves  met  with 
heavy  misfortune  or  death,  and 
some  of  Old  Frank's  most  ardent 
disciples  suffered  surprising  re- 
verses. 

Frank  lived  ten  or  fifteen  years 
after  that,  a  poor,  broken,  humbled 
wreck  of  the  splendid  figure  he 
used  to  be,  and  he  had  a  story  to 
tell  about  the  fury  of  the  Mormon 
God  and  his  love  for  his  people. 

Rattle  and  horses  were  safe  for 
the  present,  so  far  as  the  In- 
dians were  concerned,  but  in  as 
much  danger  as  ever  from  thieves. 
As  the  immunity  from  arrest  in 
San  Juan  was  whispered  more  wide- 
ly in  the  realm  of  crime,  the  stream 
of  "white  trash"  swelled  in  volume. 
If  they  could  just  reach  the  borders 
of  San  Juan,  they  could  work  in 
safety  for  a  grubstake  with  one  of 
the  cow-outfits  at  Blue  Mountain, 

THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


or  at  the  worst  they  could  ap- 
propriate a  fresh  horse,  or  hide 
among  the  rocks  eating  somebody's 
beef  till  they  could  go  farther.  From 
San  Juan  they  could  skip  in  any  one 
of  ten  directions  with  nine  chances 
to  one  of  not  being  followed,  and 
then  with  a  sure  chance  of  obliterat- 
ing whoever  might  be  so  stupid  as 
to  follow  them. 

With  a  pistol  on  each  hip  and  a 
long  gun  under  their  saddle-fender, 
they  stopped  frequently  at  San  Juan 
Co-op  for  coffee  and  bacon,  appear- 
ing from  nowhere  and  vanishing 
into  the  same  place.  Every  good 
horse  not  being  watched  or  hidden 
in  some  terrible  gulch,  or  on  some 
inaccessible  mesa,  vanished  with 
mysterious  suddenness  never  to  be 
seen  again. 


An  early  photograph  of  a  grave  at  Soldier  Crossing 


The  men  of  the  fort  clung   for     their  sacred  hunting  ground,  a  re- 
served area  of  primeval  wilderness 


Firing  Line 


&  JtLt  R.  JL 


man 


taken  by  them,  and  the  flat-topped  tion  in  mind,  Platte  D.  Lyman,  Jo- 
Elk  Mountain,  fifty  miles  to  the  seph  F.  Barton,  and  Orrin  Kelsey 
northwest  of  Bluff,  was  claimed  and  rigged  out  with  pack  horses  to  ex- 
monopolized  by  the  Piutes.    It  was  plore  the  mountain,  known  to  the 

Indians  only  who  guarded  its  trails 
from  all  intruders.   Those  trails  had 

such  as  their  fathers  had  enjoyed  not  yet  been  found  by  the  outside, 

before  the  invasion  of  white  men.  and  the  Piutes  intended  they  should 

Also,  it  was  a  safe  and  ready  retreat  never  be  found.   The  Elk  Mountain 

after  the  punitive  expeditions  they  is  a  tableland,  and  much  of  its  pre- 

had    made    and    would    yet    make  cipitious   rim  length  is  difficult  or 

against  those  white  invaders.  impossible  of  ascent. 

The    Piutes    occupied   the   three 

Jf  the  San  Juan  Mission  were  ever  valleys  east  of  the  mountain,  and 

to  succeed  as  a  buffer  state,  to  they  made  it  their  business  to  see 

endure    as    the    lightning    rod    for  that    no    one    passed    through    to 

prowlers,  but  they  had  no  summer     catching     and     neutralizing     every  climb    the    steeps    west    of    them, 

range.   It  was  hard  on  cattle  to  live     blast  of  fury  before  it  could  cross  Platte  Lyman  and  his  companions 

through  the  warm  months  in  the  low     the  Colorado  River,  and  if  the  mis-  succeeded  in  getting  into  First  Val- 

country,  and  then  have  to  winter  on     sion  were  ever  to  become  sufficiently  ley  without  being   seen,  but  when 

the  hills  they  had  grazed  bare.  This,     strong  and  influential  to  soothe  and  they  undertook  to  climb  the  moun- 

even  without  any  other  of  their  hin-     tame   the    source    from    which    the  tain,  there  was  no  trail,  but  a  steep 

drances,  would  prevent  them  from     lightning  generated,  then  it  would  surface  of  rugged  rock, 

increasing  their  herds.   Blue  Moun-     have  to  lift  its  head  above  the  slug-  Tying  their  horses  to  the  cedars, 

tain  was  claimed  by  the  aggressive     gish  tide  of  poverty.  If  it  were  ever  the  three  men  scrambled  up  afoot  to 
cattle  kings  who  had  come  in  from     to  master  its  three  major  adversa- 
Colorado,  and  they  would  endure     ries,  it  would  have  to  have  more  cat- 
no   crowding.    LaSal,   too,   besides     tie,  and  that  meant  a  summer  range, 
being    rather    too    far    away,    was 


7 


their  very  lives  to  all  the  cattle  and 
horses   they   could    save   from    the 


the  top  and  found  a  wonderful 
country  of  tall  timber  and  waving 
grass,  rich  underbrush,  and  flowers. 


The  anchorage  for  Amasa  Barton's  waterwheel,  standing  on  the  bare  shelf  of  rock  after 
sixty-two  years.  This  protruding  log,  seventy-five  feet  above  the  river,  held  a  treadmill 
in  which  a  donkey  worked. 


AUGUST  1949 


With  this  vital  phase  of  the  situa-     They  walked  all  day,  going  as  far 

as  what  is  now  known  as  Wooden 
Shoes,  and  returned  in  the  evening 
enthusiastic  over  the  prospect.  They 
got  back  to  Bluff  without  being  seen 
by  the  Piutes,  but  their  tracks 
through  that  sacred  solitude  nettled 
the  Indians,  and  their  resentful 
responses  along  with  other  worries 
and  surprises  hindered  the  Bluff 
men  for  months  from  exploring 
further. 

\\7hen,  after  a  long  time  they  were 

free  to  go  again,  Platte  Lyman, 

Kumen  Jones,  and  Hyrum  Perkins 

succeeded  only  in  getting  into  the 

edge    of    First   Valley   before   the 

vigilant     Piutes     rushed    out    and 

(Continued  on  page  508) 

507 


(Continued  from  page  507) 
formed  themselves  into  a  dark  half 
circle  across  the  trail  ahead  of  them 
and  back  along  each  side.  Every 
one  of  those  dusky  faces  was  hard 
and  unyielding;  not  one  of  them 
would  answer  a  question  nor  speak, 
but  among  themselves.  They  simply 
sat  there  on  their  cayuses  looking 
as  grim  and  terrible  as  they  could,  a 
silent  and  fearsome  protest  against 
any  admission  to  their  sacred  moun- 
tain. 

The  three  men,  exercising  such 
benevolent  chivalry  as  they  could 
with  an  adversary  frozen  to  silence, 
turned  back  around  one  end  of  the 
half  circle  and  rode  forward  again, 
hoping  to  follow  the  trail  they  were 
on  to  the  top  of  the  mountain.  That 
trail  led  through  the  cedars  to  Sec- 
ond Valley  and  on  to  the  ridge  of 
rocks  and  trees  to  the  north,  but 
there  it  had  been  camouflaged  with 
jealous  care:  a  web  of  tracks  in  all 
directions,  no  trail  at  all,  and  they 
stopped  in  bewilderment  looking  for 
a  possible  way  to  go. 

Then  out  from  the  forest  around 
them  came  the  slender  Piute  boy, 
Henry,  riding  a  lean  roan  colt;  Hen- 
ry, whose  honest,  youthful  heart, 
like  a  gem  nestling  with  crude 
stones,  had  made  glad  response  to 
Haskell's  fervent  words.  Hurriedly 
in  an  undertone  he  directed  the 
three  men  where  to  go,  and  when 
they  turned  to  ask  him  more  ques- 
tions, he  was  gone.  Yet  again  when 
they  paused  in  perplexity,  he  ap- 
peared as  before,  showed  them  the 
way  and  vanished  in  a  clump  of 
cedars.  Up  along  the  narrow  back- 
bone, hidden  by  the  trees,  and  then 
along  the  shelf  to  what  is  known  as 
Dwarf  Spring,  he  directed  them, 
riding  out  many  times  from  the 
cover  of  trees  and  brush  and  dodg- 
ing from  sight  lest  his  people  should 
know  the  part  he  was  taking.  He 
led  them  to  Kigaly  Spring,  and  to 
the  other  good  springs  of  the  moun- 
tain, his  copper  face  agleam  with 
the  radiant  light  of  friendship. 

The  three  explorers  camped  at 
Kigaly  Spring,  and  in  the  evening 
that  ugly  half  circle  of  Piutes  from 
First  Valley,  having  followed  them 
up,  came  stringing  down  through 
the  quaking  asps  and  stopped  silent 
and  sinister  around  their  camp. 
With  their  dark  faces  set  in  harder 
lines  than  they  had  worn  in  the  val- 
508 


THE  FORT  ON  THE  FIRING  LINE 

ley  below,  they  appeared  to  be  re- 
solved on  some  vengeful  action. 
Henry  was  not  with  them;  he  had 
been  in  sight  but  a  few  minutes  be- 
fore and  was  no  doubt  watching 
from  cover. 

The  three  explorers  took  silent 
account  of  what  this  demonstration 
was  intended  to  suggest,  and  what 
it  might  really  mean.  They  consid- 
ered how  they  were  beyond  the  end 
of  the  known  trail  and  fifty  miles 
from  Bluff,  and  how  Bluff  was  three 
or  four  times  that  far  from  any  help 
on  whom  they  might  call  in  case  of 
trouble.  They  could  appreciate  also 
how  serious  this  matter  was  to  the 
Piutes  who,  if  they  allowed  any  in- 
vasion of  their  retreat,  would  lose 
their  precious  hunting-ground  and 
be  overrun  by  the  outside.  Their 
appreciation  of  this  very  thing 
showed  in  their  angry  faces,  and 
they  had  nothing  to  fear  from  any 
method  by  which  they  might  want 
to  register  their  objections.  It  was 
their  own  world  where  they  were 
and  had  ever  been  supreme.  Uncle 
Sam's  laws  could  not  reach  them 
whatever  they  decided  to  do. 

Fighting  silently  a  battle  for 
calmness  within,  yet  hiding  all  out- 
ward signs  of  the  conflict,  the  scouts 
searched  their  souls  for  all  the 
strategies  of  the  new  warfare.  The 
prime  objective  just  now  was  not  to 
get  a  summer  range  for  the  people  of 
the  fort,  but  to  foil  what  might  be 
death  in  this  trackless  mountain. 
They  talked  freely  with  each  other 
about  things  in  general,  preserving 
an  appearance  of  complete  uncon- 
cern. 

Moencopi  Mike  was  the  leading 
spirit  of  the  gang — he  with  the 
Berkshire  boar  neck  and  the  one 
who,  according  to  the  sworn  state- 
ment of  the  Navajos,  had  murdered 
Mitchel  and  Myric  with  his  own 
hand.  He  glared  at  the  three  men 
with  muddy  eyes,  toying  all  the 
time  with  the  stock  of  his  pistol  as 
if  about  to  take  it  from  the  holster. 

Mike's  men  stood  waiting  for  his 
initial  word  of  beginning  on  the  big 
things  he  had  boasted  he  would 
do,  but  whether  or  not  his  gang 
was  aware  of  it,  he  was  exerting 
himself  to  his  utmost  in  an  unseen 
conflict  with  these  bold  invaders. 
It  was  that  inevitable  contest  which 
begins  the  moment  when  eyes  of 
enemies  meet.  Mike  glared  at  them 


and  searched  eagerly  for  any  tremor 
of  fear,  for  the  least  sign  of  any 
weakening  under  the  weight  of  his 
wrath  and  could  find  no  fit  moment 
for  his  initial  growl.  They  were 
simply  wearing  him  out  with  their 
stubborn  composure,  and  finding  it 
impossible  to  maintain  such  a 
mighty  pitch  without  it  even  being 
recognized,  and  his  dignity  about 
to  shrink  in  the  estimation  of  his 
waiting  braves,  he  signaled  them 
to  move  on,  and  they  camped  in  a 
grove  of  oak  fifty  yards  down  the 
canyon.  Henry  came  down  the  hill 
over  their  trail  as  if  he  had  been 
following  them  and  joined  them 
where  they  seemed  to  be  holding 
a  powwow. 

Mike  had  to  make  some  face- 
saving  explanations;  he  had  met 
with  something  unexpected,  and  in 
spite  of  all  his  boasts,  his  men  had 
to  watch  in  vain  while  he  did 
nothing.  In  half  an  hour  he  came 
back  along  to  where  the  three  men 
had  camped,  still  with  no  word  to 
say,  apparently  hoping  to  take  up 
the  fight  where  he  had  left  off,  to 
inspire  the  fear  and  find  the  op- 
portunity of  redeeming  his  dignity 
of  leadership.  Platte  Lyman  spread 
a  big  slice  of  bread  with  homemade 
molasses  and  held  it  forth  to  him 
without  a  word.  And  without  a 
word  Mike  took  it  and  closed  his 
ponderous  mouth  over  one  wide 
corner.  It  made  but  a  few  bites  for 
him,  but  he  got  a  second  and  a 
third  slice,  munching  them  with 
audible  relish. 

His  dark  countenance  changed, 
there  was  a  weakening  around  the 
corners  of  his  wide  mouth,  "Nini 
tooitch  tickaboo,"  he  grunted.  (I 
like  you. ) 

Full  of  bread  and  molasses,  he 
sauntered  away  to  bring  the  other 
Indians  and  talk  it  over.  As  the 
night  winds  moaned  over  them 
through  the  tall  pines,  they  reached 
an  understanding  in  which  the 
Piutes  agreed  to  a  certain  price 
for  the  use  of  their  mountain.  But 
besides  the  stipulated  amount  which 
they  knew  would  be  paid  in  liberal 
measure,  they  had  dreams  of  finding 
fat  cattle  and  valuable  horses  in 
the  thickly-wooded  canyons  of  their 
retreat  where  they  could  enjoy  much 
desirable  privacy  in  helping  them- 
selves. It  was  easy  to  track  a  thief 
(Continued  on  page  528) 
THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


FROM    TEMPLE    SQUARE 


V 


By  RICHARD  L.  EVANS 


Uo  a  (.feneration 

oLeavina  J^chool 

As  each  school  year  comes  to  a 
close,  another  generation  of 
young  people  are  appraised  and 
promoted  and  graded  and  gradu- 
ated. Many,  of  course,  will  return 
to  continue  their  studies;  some  will 
go  to  higher  halls  of  learning;  but 
each  year  there  are  many  who  for- 
ever leave  school  doors  behind — 
leave  teachers,  and  campus,  and 
cherished  companions.  And  despite 
all  outward  exuberance  and  all  ex- 
pressions of  relief,  it  is  a  sober  time 
for  youth,  as  they  leave  their  days 
of  preparation  to  go  out  into  a  world 
that  expects  performance.  And  as 
they  go  forth  to  assume  their  share 
of  the  world's  burdens  and  respon- 
sibilities, it  is  exceedingly  important 
that  they  take  with  them  much  more 
than  formal  facts  committed  to 
memory.  It  is  important  that  they 
take  with  them  a  reliable  sense  of 
values,  the  ability  to  sift  the  facts 
from  the  fallacies,  the  truths  from 
the  theories,  the  essentials  from  the 
non-essentials.  We  must  in  fair- 
ness be  reminded  that  some  things 
we  have  learned  with  great  effort 
will  soon  be  forgotten;  that  some 
of  this  year's  textbooks  may  next 
year  become  obsolete;  that  many 
theories  will  change;  that  added 
truth  is  constantly  coming  to  light. 
But  if  we  have  learned  to  keep  our 
minds  open  for  all  that  the  future 
may  bring  forth;  if  we  have  learned 
to  value  high  qualities  of  character 
above  mere  intellectual  acumen;  if 
we  have  learned  to  avoid  intolerant 
dogmatism,  academic  or  otherwise, 
and  have  learned  to  guard  against 
assuming  that  our  education  is  com- 


plete, we  shall  be  better  prepared 
to  meet  the  many  adjustments  that 
are  sure  to  come.  And  now  as  to 
the  future:  It  would  be  difficult  to 
appraise  the  permanent  prospects 
of  any  particular  occupation  or 
profession.  But  no  matter  what  lies 
before  us,  character,  faith,  intelli- 
gence, loyalty,  and  reliability  will 
always  be  held  at  high  premium; 
and  the  future  holds  much  promise 
for  the  well-trained  young  man  or 
young  woman  so  long  as  he  is  will- 
ing to  work  and  so  long  as  he  has  not 
lost  the  capacity  to  learn.  But  more 
tragic  than  he  who  thinks  there  are 
no  more  worlds  to  conquer  is  he  who 
thinks  he  has  finished  his  education. 
And  more  tragic  than  either  is  he 
who  supposes  that  there  are  no 
more  truths  to  be  discovered,  that 
there  are  no  further  facts  to  come 
forth. 

—June  5,  1949. 

Revised 

^Jke  ^jraltaciA  of  ^rveraaei 

TDerhaps  it  is  an  opportune  time  to 
pay  our  respects  again  to  the 
fallacy  of  figures.  We  are  some- 
times inclined  to  look  with  consid- 
erable satisfaction  upon  columns  of 
assorted  figures  which  seem  to  indi- 
cate that  all  is  well  with  the  average. 
But  statistical  columns  seldom  take 
all  of  the  facts  into  account,  and 
this  elusive  individual  known  as 
"the  average"  is  rarely  found.  The 
fallacy  of  averages  appears  when 
we  begin  to  look  at  what  lies  above 


and  below  the  average.  The  fact 
that  the  average  man  isn't  starving 
doesn't  tell  us  anything  about  the 
man  who  is  starving.  The  fact  that 
the  average  man  may  try  to  meet  his 
honest  obligations  doesn't  prove 
anything  about  the  people  who 
don't  make  much  effort  to  meet 
their  obligations.  The  fact  that  the 
average  rainfall  is  adequate  doesn't 
give  much  comfort  to  a  farmer  who 
has  to  face  floods  at  one  time  and 
burning  drouth  at  another.  The  fact 
that  the  average  temperature  in  a 
certain  city  is  seventy  degrees  does- 
n't take  into  account  that  it  may  be 
unbearably  cold  in  the  winter  and 
unbearably  hot  in  summer.  The 
Savior  of  the  world  once  preached 
a  sermon  on  the  fallacy  of  averages. 
You  won't  find  these  very  words  in 
holy  writ.  But  you  will  remember  the 
parable  of  the  ninety  and  nine  sheep 
who  were  safe,  and  of  the  one  who 
was  lost.  If  the  Good  Shepherd 
had  been  deceived  by  the  fallacy  of 
averages,  he  would  perhaps  have 
failed  to  go  forth  to  find  the  one 
who  was  lost.  Averages  may  not 
mean  much  when  we  are  speaking 
of  your  children  or  of  mine,  or  of 
ourselves  or  even  of  other  men. 
"You  may  prove  anything  by  fig- 
ures," wrote  Thomas  Carlyle.  But 
every  man,  woman,  and  child  who 
walks  the  earth  is  an  individual  with 
his  own  immortal  identity,  and  the 
personal  problems  of  people  are  not 
frequently  solved  by  figures  or  by 
fixed  formulas  from  far  places.  We 
must  look  at  people  and  their  prob- 
lems individually  and  with  open 
eyes.  Figures  can  be  made  to  fool 
us  if  we  let  them. 

—June  12,  1949. 


Revised 


(Concluded  on  page  510) 


H 


eard  from  the  "crossroads  of  the  west"  with  the  salt  lake  tabernacle  choir  and  organ  over  a  nation- 
wide radio  network  through  ksl  and  the  columbia  broadcasting  system  every  sunday  at  11:30  a.m. 
Eastern  Time,  10:30  a.m.  Central  Time,  9:30  a.m.  Mountain  Time,  and  8:30  a.m.  Pacific  Time. 


AUGUST  1949 


509 


1  Jt  MM? 


f 

Constantly  we  are  all  confronted 
with  many  prospects  and  pos- 
sibilities and  proposals.  Indeed,  life 
is  an  endless  series  of  decisions. 
And  one  of  the  questions  frequent- 
ly asked  when  proposals  are  pre- 
sented is  this:  "What  is  there  in 
it  for  me?"  It  isn't  always  so  frank- 
ly phrased  or  so  bluntly  stated  as 
this,  but  it  is  often  the  first  question 
asked,  nevertheless.  Surely  it  is  not 
improper  that  the  question  of  per- 
sonal profit  should  frequently  pre- 
sent itself,  but  it  is  exceedingly 
doubtful  if  the  matter  of  material 
gain  should  ever  be  the  first  ques- 
tion. Rather,  should  not  the  first 
question  to  any  proposal  be  simply 
this:  "Is  it  right?"  A  large  part 
of  all  the  proposals  that  are  made  in 


THE  SPOKEN  WORD 

(Concluded  from  page  509) 

the  world  could  easily  be  eliminated 
from  further  discussion  simply  by 
asking  this  one  question:  "Is  it 
right?"  If  it  is,  we  may  well  con- 
sider it  further.  We  may  then  rea- 
sonably ask  whether  or  not  it  is 
convenient,  whether  or  not  it  is 
profitable,  whether  or  not  we  want 
to  do  it.  But  if  it  isn't  right,  we  are 
wasting  our  time  in  asking  any  other 
question,  because  if  it  isn't  right,  it 
isn't  worth  it,  no  matter  what  else 
there  may  be  in  it  for  anyone.  In  the 
materialistic  mode  of  our  day,  this 
may  sound  to  some  like  impractical 
idealism.  Cynicism  would  surely 
sweep  it  aside.  But  actually  it  is  a 
hard-headed  fact,  an  unalterable 
reality,  for  which  all  time,  all  ex- 
perience, all  happiness  and  unhappi- 
ness,  all  success  and  failure  provide 
the  proof.  There  is  no  other  basis 
on  which  we  should  entertain  any 


proposal  from  anyone  until  we  have 
asked  this  one  first  question.  And 
this  is  true  in  social  situations,  bus- 
iness opportunities,  in  matters  of 
profit  or  popularity,  in  private  and 
in  public.  Putting  the  wrong  ques- 
tion first,  and  giving  it  the  wrong 
answer  may  well  complicate  and 
compromise  life  from  that  time 
forth.  And  so,  whenever  we  have 
a  choice  to  make,  a  decision  to 
reach,  a  proposal  to  consider,  an 
opportunity  to  weigh,  this  is  the  first 
question:  "Is  it  right?"  Then,  and 
only  then,  it  may  be  time  to  ask 
other  questions,  including,  perhaps: 
"What  is  there  in  it  for  me?"  But 
if  it  isn't  right,  there  is  nothing  in  it 
that  we  or  anyone  else  can  afford. 
If  it  isn't  right,  the  other  questions 
don't  matter.  If  it  isn't  right,  let  it 
alone. 

—June  19,  1949. 


cLooklna  dSetAond  <^Labei5 

"pMERSON  wrote  in  one  of  his  es- 
says: "I  am  ashamed  to  think 
how  easily  we  capitulate  to  badges 
and  names.  .  .  ."*  It  is  undeniably 
true  that  we  often  accept  things  for 
what  they  seem  to  be  on  the  surface. 
One  look  at  a  label  is  often  all  we 
ask.  We  are  sometimes  so  impressed 
with  names  that  we  may  not  look 
closely  enough  at  the  man.  Some- 
times we  accept  a  person  merely  be- 
cause of  the  company  he  keeps. 
Perhaps  it  is  generally  true  that 
people  can  be  judged  by  the  com- 
pany they  keep,  but  it  is  not  invari- 
ably true,  nor  is  it  invariably  a  fair 
or  adequate  or  safe  judgment.  We 
cannot  always  accept  a  man  simply 


because  he  belongs  to  what  seems 
to  be  acceptable  society,  nor  can 
we  always  condemn  him  simply  be- 
cause he  doesn't.  If  we  accept  the 
wolf  in  sheep's  clothing,  we  still 
have  a  wolf  and  not  a  sheep.  This 
isn't  true  only  of  people;  it  is  true 
also  of  actions,  of  things,  of  virtues 
and  vices.  An  unworthy  act  isn't 
good  merely  because  it  is  performed 
by  a  man  who  has  a  reputation  for 
goodness.  And  a  worthy  act  isn't 
bad  merely  because  it  is  performed 
by  someone  who  is  held  in  poor  re- 
pute. All  of  us  have  our  faults,  and 
all  of  us  have  our  virtues,  and  we 
must  not  expect  our  faults  to  be 
condoned  merely  because  they  trav- 
el with  our  virtues.  To  go  back  to 
Emerson's  idea,  it  is  hazardous  to 


be  too  much  impressed  with  names 
and  badges  and  labels  and  to  ac- 
cept things  or  people  merely  because 
they  are  traveling  with  others  who 
are  accepted.  Every  man  has  a  right 
to  be,  and  must  expect  to  be,  judged 
on  his  own  merits.  Badges  don't 
make  men;  names  don't  change  the 
nature  of  things;  vices  don't  be- 
come virtues  simply  because  they 
travel  with  virtues.  If  we  accept  a 
poisonous  toadstool  simply  because 
it  is  traveling  with  edible  mush- 
rooms, we  are  in  trouble.  It  isn't 
safe  to  accept  people  or  things  or 
ideas  simply  because  they  are  trav- 
eling in  what  seems  to  be  acceptable 
society.  Everything  should  be  con- 
sidered for  itself. 

—June  26,  1949. 

^  elf -Reliance 


•  ♦  ■ 


FAITH,  FEAR,  AND  THE  RATTIE  OF  IDEAS 


(Concluded  from  page  483) 
matters  little)  could  produce  in  time 
the  undesired  communist  victory  by 
default.  If  democracy,  free  enterprise, 
the  Christian  religion,  freedom  of  con- 
science and  association  are  to  be  pre- 
served, it  will  be  as  much  by  the  valid- 
ity of  an  underlying  faith  as  in  material 
ability.  Communism  involves,  true, 
more  than  ideological  warfare.  But 
that   warfare   requires   the   power   of 

510 


ideas  on  the  side  of  those  who  oppose 
communism.  All  the  material  power 
of  the  Roman  Empire  was  insufficient 
to  halt  the  spread  of  the  idea  of  Christ 
and  him  crucified.  The  testimony  of 
Joseph  Smith  survived  the  shot  and  lead 
of  Carthage  Jail.  Even  God,  the  Fa- 
ther, permits  Satan  freedom  of  con- 
science and  much  freedom  of  action! 
Perhaps  the  real  questions  for  western 


democrats,  for  disciples  of  free  enter- 
prise and  free  elections,  of  multiple 
parties  and  the  right  to  disagree,  are: 
"What  is  our  faith?  Upon  what  is  it 
grounded?  How  does  it  operate  in  the 
lives  of  men?  How  is  evil  resisted?" 
As  in  basketball,  the  best  defense  in 
the  battle  of  ideas  may  be  a  good  of- 
fense— in  this  case,  effective  rendition 
of  democracy  and  not  hysteria. 

THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


AT  THIS  SAME  HOUR 

(Richard  L.  Evans.  Harper  &  Bros., 
New  York.  1949.  207  pages.  $2.00. ) 

Co  popular  have  been  the  "sermon- 
ettes"  on  the  Tabernacle  Choir  and 
Organ  broadcast  that  this  is  the  fourth 
published  book  which  has  been  eagerly 
awaited  by  a  receptive  public.  At  This 
Same  Hour,  like  the  other  three, 
abounds  in  thoughtful  "capsules" — to 
borrow  the  author's  word  from  his 
dedication*.  One  of  the  virtues  of  this 
book  is  that  no  matter  how  busy  a 
person  is,  he  can  get  time  enough  to 
read  some  of  these  bits  on  which  to 
ponder  until  he  gets  time  to  read  some 
more  of  these  thought-provoking  para- 
graphs. Another  convenience  that  has 
been  attended  to  is  the  size  of  the 
book  which  permits  easy  carrying  for 
ready  accessibility  of  reading. 

The  book  includes  something  more 
than  150  sermonettes  classified  under 
ten  great  heads  with  subdivisions  and 
specific  titles  falling  under  these.  In 
addition  there  is  a  section  which  in- 
cludes sermonettes  on  Special  Days. 
At  This  Same  Hour  is  more  than 
enough  to  prove  a  stimulus  to  every 
reader  and  thinker. — M.  C.  /. 

THESE  ALSO  BELIEVE 

(Charles  Samuel  Braden.    Macmillan 
Co.,  New  York.  1949. 
491  pages.  $6.00.) 

rpHis  study  of  "Modern  American 
Cults"  is  essentially  an  interesting 
and  unbiased  presentation  of  the  his- 
tory and  doctrine  of  thirteen  so-called 
"minority  religious  movements  in 
America."  The  list  begins  with  Father 
Divine  and  ends  with  Mormonism, 
touching  on  the  way  Psychiana,  New 
Thought,  Unity,  Christian  Science, 
Theosophy,  I  Am,  Liberal  Catholic 
Church,  Spiritualism,  Jehovah's  Wit- 
nesses, Anglo-Israel,  and  the  Oxford 
Group. 

It  is  the  best,  if  not  the  only,  attempt 
to  present  these  various  forms  of  be- 
lief in  one  easily  read  volume. 

The  work  is  well  done  as  would  be 
expected  from  the  distinguished  profes- 
sor of  the  history  and  literature  of 
religions  in  Northwestern  University. 

The  chapter  on  Mormonism  (32 
pages)  is  fair  and  generally  correct, 
following  authoritative  Church  sources. 
However,  in  discussing  the  conflict- 
ing opinions  concerning  Mormon 
origins,  the  author  overlooks  the 
sanest,  modern  non-Mormon  views  by 
following  too  closely  Arbaugh's  Rev- 
elation in  Mormonism,   an  unreliable 

AUGUST  1949 


B_ J^S  &<s\t^cue\i. 


volume,  which,  for  example,  accepts 
in  this  day  the  theory,  long  since  ex- 
ploded, that  Sidney  Rigdon  wrote  the 
Book  of  Mormon,  or  the  disproved 
theory  that  the  story  of  the  first  vision 
was  concocted  by  Joseph  Smith  in 
1 838,  and  fails  to  note  that  the  Anthon 
Transcript,  published  over  a  century 
ago,  and  still  existing,  has  been  shown 
to  be  Egyptian  as  claimed  by  the  Book 
of  Mormon. 

Dr.  Braden's  informative  book  sets 
out  clearly  that  when  eternal  truth  is 
not  the  basis  of  religious  thought,  only 
confusion  follows. — /.  A.  W. 

THREE  TIMELY  TREASURES 
Leon  M.  Strong.   Published  by  Leon 
M.  Strong,  Sugar  City,  Idaho. 
1948.   103  pages.  $1.50.) 

'"The  author  has  spent  a  lifetime  of 
teaching  in  the  department  of  edu- 
cation of  the  Church.  From  his  studies 
he  has  selected  three  discussions  of 
general  interest.  The  first  deals  with 
the  dispensations  of  the  gospel:  the 
meaning  of  a  dispensation,  when  dis- 
pensations occurred,  and  other  infor- 
mation of  interest  to  gospel  students. 
The  second  is  a  discussion  of  the  lost 
tribes,  setting  forth  the  scriptural  argu- 
ments for  their  existence  and  present 
location.  The  two  theories  of  their 
whereabouts  are  mentioned,  without 
taking  sides  in  this  interesting  discus- 
sion. The  third  is  a  history  of  the 
tribe  of  Judah,  which  is  of  special  in- 
terest to  Latter-day  Saints  because  of 
the  descent  of  Jesus  the  Christ.  There 
are  informative  tables  that  show  the 
relationship  of  the  various  leaders  of 
the  Jewish  kingdom  before  Christ  and 
after. 

It  is  an  interesting  little  volume  that 
will  quite  repay  the  short  time  needed 
in  reading  it. — /.  A,  W. 

SHORT  STORY  CRAFT 
(Lillian  Gilkes  and  Warren  Bower. 
Macmillan  Co.,  New  York.   1949. 
501  pages.  $3.50.) 

Tn  addition  to  the  "Introduction"  and 
"Memo  from  the  Editor's  Desk," 
which  afford  a  wise  and  careful  analy- 
sis of  short  story  technique  and  reasons 
for  rejections,  the  book  includes  twen- 
ty-seven examples  of  short  stories  by 
recognized  writers  of  this  medium.  By 
a  thoughtful  analysis  of  these  stories, 
with  a  consideration  of  all  the  sugges- 
tions in  the  first  two  sections  of  the 
book,  the  readers  will  be  sure  to  de- 
velop a  basic  idea  of  how  they  may 
improve  their  own  writing — or  their 
reading. — M.  C.  /. 


RISE  UP  AND  WALK 

(Percy  Elliott  Lindley.   Chapman 
and  Grimes,  Boston.   1949. 
171  pages.   $2.50.) 

|~}r.  Lindley,  Dean  of  Hyde  Point 
College  and  also  Professor  of  Re- 
ligious Education  has  attempted  in  the 
twelve  chapters  of  this  book  to  inspire 
youth  to  the  higher  goals  of  life.  Not 
only  does  the  author  use  his  own 
thoughts  in  this  task,  but  he  also  pre- 
sents a  wealth  of  stories  and  anecdotes 
from  the  lives  of  great  people,  encour- 
aging to  every  upward  striving  youth. 
The  collection  of  anecdotes  itself 
would  justify  this  book.  It  should  be 
very  useful  in  the  building  of  char- 
acter.— /.  A.  W. 

THEIR  FINEST  HOUR 

(Winston  S.  Churchill.    Houghton 
Mifflin  Co.,  Boston.    1949. 
751  pages.  $6.00.) 

'T'his  book,  the  second  volume  of 
Winston  Churchill's  history  of 
World  War  II,  carries  on  from  The 
Gathering  Storm  in  Churchill's  inimit- 
able manner — and  unusual  vitriolic 
charm,  and  unique  language  and  style. 
To  the  Americans  there  may  be  a  bit 
of  acid  in  the  theme  of  the  volume  in 
which  Churchill  states:  "How  the 
British  people  held  the  fort  ALONE 
till  those  who  hitherto  had  been  half 
blind  were  half  ready."  No  one  can 
use  mouth-filling,  soul-stirring,  fighting 
words  any  better  than  can  Churchill — 
and  this  book  is  a  good  example  of  his 
language  as  well  as  of  his  philosophy. 
Students  of  rhetoric  as  well  as  students 
of  history  will  find  this  book  of  great 
value. 

It,  together  with  The  Gathering 
Storm,  is  an  invaluable  source  book 
which  will  more  than  prove  its  value 
not  only  currently  but  also  in  the  years 
to  come. — M.  C.  J. 

KNOW  THE  BIBLE 

(Arranged  and  compiled  by  Benjamin 
B.  Alward.   Stevens  &  Wallis,  Inc., 
Salt  Lake  City.  1949.  184  pages. 
$1.00.   $1.50  in  cloth.) 

HPoo  few  people  in  the  Western 
Hemisphere  know  the  Bible  well 
enough  to  quote  chapter  and  verse. 
This  reference  book,  arranged  under 
sixty  questions  and  topics  of  vital  im- 
portance, gives  quotations  to  indicate 
answers  and  solutions. 

For  Christians  everywhere,  this 
book  will  prove  stimulating  to  try  to 
learn  the  answers  by  accurate  quota- 
tions from  the  Book  of  books.  It  would 
make  an  interesting  volume  to  keep 
close  to  the  family  gathering  place  and 
make  use  of  it  during  meals  and  home 
evenings. — M.  C.  /. 

{Concluded  on  page  519) 

511 


Youth  in  Action 


A  chievement  follows  work  as  surely  and  in- 
evitably as  night  follows  day.  The  glorious 
gathering  of  youth  and  its  leaders  in  the  M.I. A. 
June  conference  exemplifies  the  motivating  power 
of  a  great  cause,  and  the  breathtaking  results  of 
that  ideal  through  the  months  that  precede  this 
great  gathering. 

To  watch  original  roadshows  and  drama,  to 
hear  twelve  hundred  young  folk  lift  their  voices 
in  song,  to  see  3,400  young  people  dance  in  the 
great  outdoor  stadium  under  the  intense  blue  of 
the  evening  sky  and  the  stars,  to  listen  to  youth 
express  themselves  in  formal  speech  and  in  testi- 
mony— these  are  never-to-be-forgotten  experi- 
ences, the  joy  of  which  lights  the  way  to  another 
'  year's  efforts. 

Great  as  these  events  are — and  they  afford  a 
rare  spiritual  and  recreational  treat — behind  them 
stands  the  idea  which  initiated  them:  that  of 
providing  well-rounded  activities  and  lessons 
throughout  the  days,  weeks,  and  months  of  the 
entire  year.  The  culminating  programs  afford 
spectacles  of  inestimable  worth,  but  the  over-all 
achievement  lies  in  the  week-by-week  planning 
and  execution  of  those  plans.  Thus,  an  equally  ex- 
ceptional feature  of  June  conference  is  the  prepara- 
tion program  for  the  coming  year's  work,  presented 
in  special  department  sessions. 

This  year  departments  were  held  for  stake  board 
workers,  an  innovation  that  assuredly  proved  its 
worth.  Also  a  special  session  for  Indian  correla- 
tion work  was  called  for  the  first  time.  In  all,  thirty- 
two  department  sessions  convened  in  which  the 
succeeding  year's  work  was  projected.  In  addi- 
tion to  the  three  festivals  five  general  meetings 
were  held  for  the  entire  group  of  youth  and  their 
leaders  who  attended  conference. 

Something  inexplicable  occurs  when  great 
groups  come  together,  motivated  by  the  same  stir- 
ring ideals — and  June  conference  was  a  glorious 
example.  To  the  six  hundred  and  forty  Junior 
girls  of  the  Church  who  danced  in  the  livening 
M.  I.  A.  colors  of  gold  and  green,  there  came  a 
feeling  of  solidarity  that  no  amount  of  talking 
could  induce.  Merely  knowing  that  there  were 
many  others  of  their  own  age  who  were  guided 
by  the  same  ideals,  who  accepted  the  same  stand- 
ards, who  enjoyed  the  same  kind  of  activities,  will 
be  a  force  for  good  that  is  inestimable.  A  joyous 
restraint  will  come  to  their  minds  and  hearts  when 
they  realize  that  "everybody  is  doing  it"  in  a 
wholesome,  enjoyable  manner,  with  no  after  re- 
grets which  sometimes  follow  activities. 

To  those  who  sang  in  the  famed  Tabernacle 


will  come  the  feeling  that  they  are  part  of  a  great 
tradition  that  must  continue  and  grow  even  greater 
as  a  result  of  their  lives  and  actions.  The  feeling 
for  drama  which  has  been  so  marked  from  the 
founding  of  the  Church  will  receive  an  impetus 
which  will  promote  even  greater  activity  in  this 
worthy  recreation  as  a  result  of  the  drama  festival. 
M.I. A.  is  a  compelling  magnet  when  it  can  draw 
people  from  Florida,  New  York,  California — and 
all  points  between;  from  Hawaii,  Canada,  and 
Mexico;  and  these  come  at  their  own  expense  to 
participate  in  and  receive  inspiration  from  June 
conference.  It  is  a  great  catalyzer  in  that  it  sends 
these  people  back  to  their  home  areas  with  the 
program  in  order  that  it  may  be  diffused  into  the 
wards,  branches,  stakes,  and  missions  and  gath- 
ered together  for  another  glorious  June  confer- 
ence.— M.  C.  /. 

ERA  Writers'  Conference 

"\\7riters  have  a  great  responsibility  in  whatever 
medium  or  media  they  may  present  their  ideas, 
but  writers  for  the  Era  have  an  even  greater  re- 
sponsibility since  a  magazine  for  the  Church  must 
bear  the  scrutiny  of  even  the  most  critical  on  every- 
thing that  is  published  within  its  pages. 

The  recently  held  Era  writers'  conference  ( June 
16,  1949)  was  of  especial  value  in  order  that  the 
editorial  staff  might  come  to  know  the  writers 
personally  and  recognize  them  individually.  And 
it  was  fun  to  speak  with  them  both  informally  and 
formally.  It  was  a  joy  to  hear  them  read  or  dis- 
cuss their  own  work,  and  it  was  stimulating  to 
listen  to  those  who  came  to  instruct. 

It  was  also  gratifying  to  learn  that  so  many  were 
interested  in  this  conference,  the  first  of  its  kind 
for  this  publication.  In  venturing  to  estimate  the 
response,  the  Era  staff  timidly  vouchsafed  that 
there  might  be  fifty  who  would  attend.  When  the 
final  count  was  made,  it  was  learned  that  more 
than  one  hundred  and  fifty  attended.  It  has  been 
especially  gratifying  to  hear  from  many  of  those 
who  attended  that  they  were  pleased  with  this 
initial  conference  and  felt  that  it  accomplished  the 
purpose  for  which  it  was  called,  that  of  acquainting 
writers  with  Era  needs  and  procedures  as  well  as 
of  acquainting  the  Era  editorial  board  with  the 
exceptional  writers  who  make  the  magazine  a  real 
force  in  promoting  intelligent,  worth-while  reading. 

Naturally,  there  are  ideas  and  programing  that 
could  be  perfected  for  another  year,  but  the  whole- 
hearted response  to  this  call  to  writers  has  been 
most  gratifying  and  stimulating  to  the  Era  staff 
and  has  made  the  members  of  it  begin  already  to 
initiate  plans  for  another  year's  conference  with 
Era  writers. — M.  C.  /. 


512 


THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


4.^4. 


cxxxuii.  Jrd  IKeliaion   rfeeded  In  an, 

^fge  or  Science  f 

\X/e  live  literally  in  an  age  of  science,  in  every 
factory,  farm,  and  home  are  helps  undreamed 
of  a  century  or  two  ago.  On  every  man's  table 
today  are  things  beyond  the  reach  of  kings  or 
potentates  before  science  began  its  onward  march. 
The  change  in  human  life,  in  comforts  and  lux- 
uries, since  the  scientific  age  began,  is  beyond  un- 
derstanding. All  this  is  received  gratefully  by  the 
people  of  the  world. 

This  has  come  about  because  about  three  hun- 
dred years  ago  men  began  to  search  out  the  laws 
of  nature.  With  every  new  discovery  came  other 
discoveries.  The  knowledge  of  man  grew  so  rapid- 
ly that  many  new  sciences  were  born.  Today  the 
multiplicity  of  knowledge  won  from  the  study  of 
nature  is  bewildering.  No  one  man  can  know  all 
that  has  been  discovered.  The  best  a  person  can 
do  in  our  day  is  to  occupy  some  little  corner  of 
human  knowledge  and  make  himself  strong  there- 


in. 


It  was  a  great  day  for  human  welfare  when  peo- 
ple began  to  replace  traditions  and  imaginations 
with  answers  of  nature  herself  to  questions  asked 
by  man.  Since  that  time  we  have  seen  the  universe 
with  clearer  vision,  and  now  we  refuse  to  accept 
any  statement  which  has  not  been  tried  out  by 
the  powers  with  which  nature  has  endowed  man. 

Through  the  advancement  of  science  man  has 
not  only  learned  to  understand  the  laws  of  nature, 
but  he  has  also  obtained  great  power  over  the 
surrounding  forces  of  nature.  Trees  are  blown  out 
of  the  ground;  rock  is  blasted  out  of  the  mountain; 
falling  water  now  turns  turbines  and  motors  to 
perform  much  of  the  work  that  man  formerly  had 
to  do  with  his  hands.  In  countless  ways  power 
has  been  won  over  conditions  that  formerly  defied 
human  efforts. 

These  great  achievements  filled  men  with  a 
sense  of  pride.  They  were  masters  of  nature. 
They  forgot  the  higher  power — God.  They  sought 
more  knowledge  and  paid  little  attention  to  the 
proper  use  of  increased  knowledge.  Unfortunate- 
ly, therefore,  as  powers  multiplied,  they  were  not 
always  used  for  the  best  interests  of  humanity. 
Powder,  for  example,  useful  in  clearing  forests  or 
tunneling  in  mountains  for  coal  or  valuable  min- 
erals, became  also  a  tool  in  the  hands  of  evil.  Guns 
and  cannons  were  made  to  destroy  human  beings. 
The  release  of  atomic  forces  with  their  promise 
of  tremendous  service  to  mankind  has  so  far  been 
used  only  in  terrible,  unspeakable  destruction  of 
life.    The  wars  of  the  present  are  a  thousandfold 


e  conciliation 


more  horrible  than  those  of  past  ages  when  men 
fought  with  simple  instruments,  each  one  against 
his  opponent. 

It  must  be  confessed  that,  while  science  has 
brought  ease  into  man's  daily  work,  it  has  also 
often  reduced  man  to  beast-like  conditions.  This 
misuse  of  new  discoveries  has  become  so  grievous 
as  to  make  man  wonder  if  science  is  really  an  un- 
mixed blessing;  for  example,  the  discovery  of  how 
the  atomic  forces  of  certain  elements  may  be  re- 
leased has  therefore  been  received  with  fear  rather 
than  joy. 

The  situation  has  become  so  serious  that  many 
scientific  men  have  at  last  accepted  their  full  re- 
sponsibility and  have  set  up  the  dogma  that  a  man 
who  makes  a  discovery  in  science  must  thereafter 
concern  himself  with  its  proper  use  among  men. 
It  must  be  watched  over  so  that  it  may  help  ad- 
vance the  welfare  of  men.  Gradually,  this  con- 
ception is  moving  in  upon  all  workers  in  science. 
Scientific  men  are  being  held  responsible,  in  part 
at  least,  for  the  use  to  which  their  discoveries  are 
put. 

Here  religion  steps  in.  After  a  great  discovery 
has  been  made,  what  are  the  right  or  wrong  pur- 
poses for  which  it  may  be  employed?  How  may 
it  be  used  for  the  common  good? 

What  are  the  standards  of  right  and  wrong? 
What  is  the  common  good?  To  these  questions 
science  is  silent.  There  is  but  one  field,  the  field  of 
religion,  in  which  the  standards  of  right  and  wrong, 
of  human  behavior,  are  set  up  and  where  the 
seeker  may  find  courage  to  cling  to  the  right  and 
eschew  wrong  in  discoveries  made. 

The  doctrine  of  the  common  good,  which  is  the 
essence  of  religion,  is  a  basic  principle  in  the  plan 
of  salvation,  laid  out  by  the  Lord  for  his  children 
on  earth. 

It  is  left  to  man  to  apply  facts  as  they  may  be 
discovered,  for  human  benefit.  That  is  a  religious 
process,  for  the  common  good  implies  the  existence 
and  purpose  of  God,  and  man's  relationship  to 
him. 

Religion  is  able  to  answer  the  questions  that 
may  be  asked  by  delvers  of  science  into  the  mys- 
teries of  nature.  Religion  asserts  that  all  men  are 
the  children  of  God;  that  they  were  placed  on 
earth  to  become  acquainted  with  the  elements  of 
earth;  and  to  learn  to  control  themselves,  by  di- 
recting the  laws  of  nature  to  the  good  of  man. 

Every  discovery  of  science  should  be  used  for 
the  good  of  man,  in  harmony  with  his  divine  plan. 
That  is  a  thought  greatly  needed  by  science.  The 
vastness  of  the  discovered  universe  is  an  evidence 
of  the  fathomless  nature  of  the  supreme  Intelli- 
gence who  made  this  universe  possible.  Science  may 
become  a  faith-promoting  subject  of  consideration 

(Concluded  on  page  538) 


AUGUST  1949 


513 


ACCORDION  TYPE  DOORS 

•  Save  Space 

•  Eliminate  Swing  Area  of  Conven- 
tional Type  Doors 

•  Make  Rooms  do  Double  Duty 

•  Wide  Variety  of  Colors 

•  Assure  Easy,  Trouble  Free  Oper- 
ation 


iiiimIi:  in  In  III 


Write  or  Phone 
for  Free  Literature 

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BY  POPULAR  DEMAND  .  .  . 

NEW  SECOND  EDITION 

"KNOW  THE  BIBLE" 

A    Detailed    Self-explanatory    Ready    Reference 

in  FULL  BIBLICAL  TEXTS 

An  Ideal  Book  for  INVESTIGATORS. 

NON-MEMBERS,  RELATIVES  and  FRIENDS 

Paper  $1.00  184  Pages  Cloth  $1.50 

BENJAMIN  B.  ALWAHD 
148  First  Avenue,  Salt  Lake  City  3,  Utah 


SAFETY  IS  ONLY  COMMON  SENSE 


By  Be 


ame 


t 


^>ck 


warlz 


lx 


IT  happened  suddenly.  Traffic  ac- 
cidents always  do.  The  baby 
didn't  cry.  There  wasn't  time. 
He  was  crushed,  lifeless,  as  the 
perambulator  was  crumbled  under 
the  wheels  of  the  automobile. 

The  mother  had  tried  desperate- 
ly, frantically,  to  pull  back  the  small 
cart,  but  even  in  a  split-second 
there's  too  much  time  between  real- 
ization and  action. 

A  few  minutes  before,  the  baby 
was  prattling  innocently,  trustingly. 
Then  his  mother  started  across  the 
street,  pushing  the  low  perambulator 
with  him  in  it,  not  thinking  it  neces- 
sary to  carry  him  in  her  arms. 
Wouldn't  it  seem  silly  to  push  an 
empty  cart?  Silly?  This  baby's 
carriage  became  a  death  trap  on  a 
street  in  a  California  metropolis! 

The  driver's  fault?  That  is  no 
consolation  at  a  funeral. 

There  are  no  statutes  decreeing 
a  baby  must  be  carried  across  a 
street.  Be  your  own  lawmaker  about 
it.  Better  an  empty  carriage  for  a 
few  minutes  than  an  empty  crib  for 
a  lifetime! 

A  doting  aunt  took  her  small 
nephew  for  an  automobile  ride, 
and  was  overjoyed  at  the  cuteness 
of  the  baby  standing  on  her  lap  and 
holding  the  steering  wheel  as  if 
driving  the  car. 

It  was  cute.  Such  baby  antics  al- 
ways are. 

Suddenly,  and  without  warning, 
the  motorist  in  front  of  them 
stopped  his  car.  There  was  a  colli- 
sion. Very  little  damage  was  done 
to  either  automobile,  but  the  baby 
lay  dead  on  the  aunt's  lap.  The 
impact  had  hurtled  him  against  the 
steering  wheel.  His  little  chest  was 
crushed. 

It  could  happen  to  any  baby! 

Tn  Georgia,  a  woman  reached  into 
the  cage  of  a  gentle-looking  polar 
bear — and  lost  her  hand! 


At  another  zoo,  a  monkey — al- 
ways a  favorite  with  children — 
ferociously  bit  a  small  child's  hand 
as  the  child  offered  a  peanut. 

A  beautiful,  strutting  Oriental 
fowl  viciously  pecked  a  deep  scar- 
ring hole  into  another  child's  face, 
narrowly  missing  the  eye. 

Animals  are  moody  too.  Ask  the 
keeper  at  the  zoo.  He'll  tell  you  to 
obey  the  "Stand  clear"  signs.  They 
were  put  there  by  people  who  know 
the  animals  can  be  more  dangerous 
in  a  cage  than  they  are  in  their 
natural  habitat. 

HThe  ball  rolled  to  the  side  of  the 
room  and  came  to  a  stop  at  the 
wall.  Naturally,  the  baby  crawled 
to  it.  It  was  his  plaything,  a  good 
plaything,  because  it  was  bright  and 
shiny  and  made  noise.  He  reached 
for  it,  and,  by  sudden  tragic  coinci- 
dence, a  picture  on  the  wall  fell  with 
guillotine-like  speed.  The  child's 
hand  is  disfigured  for  life. 

Of  course  pictures  on  walls  make 
a  home  attractive  and  prove  decora- 
tive skill.  But  will  those  same  dec- 
orations jar  loose  and  fall?  Do  you 
check  yours  frequently?  Vibrations 
of  all  kinds,  and  the  settling  of  a 
house  loosen  nails  and  screws.  In 
earthquake  areas,  the  danger  is  even 
greater. 

Why  not  mark  the  calendar  for 
periodic  checks?  The  above  tragedy 
occurred  in  Ohio.  It  could  happen 
in  your  house  wherever  you  live. 

HPhe  inside  of  the  electric  wall 
socket  was  bright  copper.  It 
glittered  like  Christmas  tinsel.  It 
was  shiny  enough  to  attract  this 
baby  in  Illinois.  The  tot  reached 
into  the  socket. 

Scores  of  babies  throughout  the 
nation  died  the  same  way  during 
the  year.  Yet  the  price  of  ordinary 
screw  plugs  to  fit  those  open  sockets 
is  so  low  that  neglect  is  criminal. 

After  all,  safety  is  only  common 


sense. 


514 


THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


Good  Hostesses 
Remember  Junior 


Anne  is  such  a  darling.  You  love 
to  have  her  visit — did,  rather, 
■  before  she  had  that  terror  tod- 
dler. Why,  Junior  can't  sit  still  one 
minute!  Can  you?  Try  sitting  on  an 
oversized  chair  some  day:  no  book, 
no  nothing,  and  pretend  that  you 
are   Junior. 

Time  after  time  you  say  apolo- 
getically to  Anne  and  your  other 
friends  with  children,  "I'm  sorry. 
There  is  nothing  for  small  children 
to  play  with  here.  We're  all  adults, 
you  know."  Then  you  search  franti- 
cally for  some  object  which  might 
possibly  interest  a  curious,  squirm- 
ing child. 

'"This  situation  can  be  remedied  eas- 
ily, but  few  childless  hostesses 
think  of  it,  it  seems.  How?  Invest 
in  a  few  inexpensive  toys,  a  color 
book,  crayons,  clay,  a  stuffed  toy. 
A  trip  through  the  nearest  dime 
store  will  give  you  ideas.  Assemble 
them  in  a  gaily-colored  box. 

A  toy  presented  to  a  child  guest 
in  this  manner  takes  on  impor- 
tance which  far  outweighs  its  actual 
cost.  I  know,  for  I  vividly  re- 
member such  a  thoughtful  hostess. 
Twenty  years  later  I  still  send  her 
greeting  cards  each  holiday! 

You  might  even  buy  a  gay  plas- 
tic bib  (easily  washed  off),  a  box 
of  graham  crackers,  and  an  inexpen- 
sive set  of  tiny  dishes. 

Then  the  next  time  you  see  Anne, 
or  anyone  else,  strolling  up  your 
walk  with  Junior,  you  can  smile  to 
yourself  with  happy  expectations, 
because  Junior  will  (following  a 
normal  child  behavior  pattern)  be 
happy,  too;  and  happy  children  are 
always  good. 


THE   NEW 


RENDEZVOUS 
By  J.  Fabian  Giroux 


A' 


N  eternity  of  time  has  dropped, 
Grain  by  heavy  grain, 
Since  last  we  met. 

All  time  is  but  a  moment  now: 
We  meet  again! 

AUGUST  1949 


Gold'  Rush  of  49 


Maybe  you've  noticed  it  already— the  way  women  are 
hurrying  to  buy  Golden  Fels-Naptha  Soap  and  Soap  Chips. 

And  no  wonder!  This  1949  Fels-Naptha  brings  them 
a  brand-new  washing  experience.  Every  process  in  the 
Fels-Naptha  formula  has  been  tested  and  checked  with  the 
washing  demands  of  today's  smart,  young  housekeeper. 

If  you  haven't  tried  the  1949  Fels-Naptha  Soap  or  Soap  Chips 
get  some  today.  Get  a  big  red  and  green  box  of 
Fels-Naptha  Soap  Chips  for  your  washing  machine  or 
automatic  washer.  You'll  really  get  a  thrill  at  the  way  this 
grand,  golden  soap  gets  things  fragrantly  clean  and  sweet 
and  a  bigger  thrill  when  your  dazzling 
white  washes  are  hung  on  the  line. 

Join  the  1949  Gold  Rush  today— 

to  The  Golden  Fels-Naptha  Soap  shelves 

in  any  grocery  store. 


MADE  IN  PHI  LA. 
BY  FELS  &  CCX 


FOR  EXTRA  CLEANING  ACTION  USE 

Fels-Naptha  Soap 

MILD,  GOLDEN  SOAP   AND   ACTIVE  NAPTHA 


515 


TUNA-TOMATO  CASSEROLE 


SiMB 


You'll  like  this  easy  family  dinner.  Make  it  early 
and  reheat  just  before  serving.  It's  a  meal  in 
itself!  Star-Kist  Tuna  makes  it  best  because  only 
the  tender,  smaller,  better-tasting  tuna  are 
packed  under  the  Star-Kist  quality  label. 

STAR-KIST  TUNA-TOMATO   CASSEROLE 


1  7-oz.  can  Star-Kist 
Fancy  Solid  Pack  (or 
Chunk  Style)  Tuna 

Vi  cup  chopped  onion 

1  teaspoon  salt 

Vi  cup  sliced  ripe  olives 

Combine  first  six  ingredients  and  place  over  1 
cup  noodles  in  greased  casserole.  Cover  with 
remaining  Yz  cup  noodles,  sprinkle  with  cheese. 
Bake  in  325°F.  oven  for  30  minutes. 


1  TO'/a-oz.  can 
tomato  soup 
Vi  cup  milk 
1  Vi  cups  cooked 

noodles 
Vi  cup  grated 

American  cheese 


Star-Kist 

J§rawLTllll3 


Guaranteed  1 
ood  Housekeeping 

Buy  Solid  Pack  or 

Chunk  Style,  Star-Kist 

Quality  is  the  Same! 

FREE  TUNA  RECIPE  BOOK 

Makes  Menu  Planning  Easy 
Economical,  kitchen-tested, 
tuna  recipes.  24-page  book- 
let! Write  Star-Kist  Tuna, 
Terminal  Island,  Calif., 
Dept.  8-E. 


BEST  BREAD  IDEA  OF  THE  M0NTH-.hese  Fishers  Bread 

cups  that  will  make  your  best  creamed  luncheon  or  dinner  dishes 
taste  better!  Remove  crusts  from  slices  of  Fisher's  White  Bread,  then 
brush  each  slice  with  melted  butter.  Gently  press  each  slice  into  a 
muffin  cup.  Bake  in  a  moderate  oven  (350°)  until  crisp  and  golden 
brown.  Fill  toast  cups  with  chicken  a  la  king  or  other  favorite  creamed 
mixture.  Watch  this  column  for  more  wonderful  ways  to  use  nourish- 
ing,  delicious,  economical  Fisher's   Bread — truly   bread   at   its   best! 

516 


Josephine  B.  Nichols 

/^ompany  coming — serve  simple,  east- 
ly  prepared  meals,  meals  that  sound 
cool,  look  cool,  and  taste  cool.  Pre- 
pare them  early  in  the  morning  and 
place  in  the  refrigerator  until  serving 
time. 

Cool  Luncheon 

Chilled  Tuna  Loaf         Cucumber  Dressing 

Buttered  New  Corn 

Sliced  Tomatoes 

French  Roll  Butter 

Green  Apple  Pie 

Quick  Meal 

Sea-food  Shortcake 

Tomato  and  Cucumber  Wedges 

Ice  Honeydew  or  Watermelon  Slices 

Fruit  Salad  Bowl  with  Fluffy  Cheese 

Dressing 

Nut  Bread  Sandwiches 

Chocolate  Sundies 

Porch  Supper 

Casserole  of  Chicken  and  Mushrooms 
French  Fried  Potatoes 

Relish  Plate 
Fresh  Peach  Shortcake 

Fruit  Salad  Bowl 

Choose  fresh  fruit,  peaches,  pears,  can- 
taloupe, honeydew,  and  grapes.  Arrange 
around  Fluffy  Cottage  Cheese  Dressing. 

Ftuffy  Cottage  Cheese  Dressing 

2  cups  cottage  cheese 

2  tablespoons  orange  juice 

1  tablespoon  lemon  juice 

2  teaspoons  sugar 

Beat  cottage  cheese  until  fluffy,  beat  in 
remaining  ingredients.    Chill. 

Whole  Wheat  Nut  Bread 

1  cup  sugar 
2^3  cup  honey 

2  eggs 

1  cup  sour  milk 

1  teaspoon  soda 

1  teaspoon  salt 
Y  cup  melted  fat 

\Yi  cups  enriched  flour 
1^2  cups  whole  wheat  flour 
\Yi  cups  nuts 

Sift  dry  ingredients  together  except  nuts. 
Combine  remaining  ingredients.  Add  to 
dry  mixture.  Stir  only  until  flour  is  mois- 
tened. Stir  in  nuts.  Bake  in  two  small  loaf 
pans  one  hour  at  350". 

Chilled  Tuna  Loaf 

2  tablespoons  unflavored  gelatine 

1  cup  cold  water 

2  hard  cooked  eggs,  sliced 
$3  cup  lemon  juice 


THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


4  7-ounce  cans  tuna  (grated) 
2  cups  mayonnaise  or  salad  dressing 
2  cups  chopped  celery 
Y2  cup  chopped  green  pepper 
1  teaspoon  salt 

Soften  gelatine  in  cold  water.  Dissolve 
over  hot  water.  Combine  remaining  in- 
gredients, add  gelatine.  Pour  into  oiled 
loaf  pan  or  ring  mold.  Chill  until  firm,  un- 
mold.  Garnish  with  parsley  and  tomato 
slices.   Serve  cucumber  dressing. 

Cucumber  Dressing 

1  cup  cream,  whipped 
Yi  teaspoon  salt 

34  teaspoon  paprika 

2  tablespoons  lemon  juice 
34  cup  mayonnaise 

1  cup  chopped  pared  cucumber,  drained 

Whip  cream,  fold  in  remaining  ingre- 
dients.   Serve  at  once. 

Seafood  Shortcake 
Tuna  Sauce 

1  cup  flaked  tuna 

1  can  cream  of  mushroom  soup 
x/i  cup  evaporated  milk 

x/2  cup  water 

2  tablespoons  chopped  pimento 
J^  teaspoon  salt 

1  cup  cooked  peas 

Heat  soup,  milk,  and  water  in  double  boil- 
er. Add  remaining  ingredients,  cook  ten 
minutes.  Make  waffles  or  biscuits  with 
package  mix,  following  directions  on 
package.  Arrange  waffles  or  biscuits  short- 
cake-fashion with  hot  tuna  sauce. 

Casserole  of  Chicken  and  Mushrooms 

4  cups  cooked  chicken 

3  to  4  cups  chicken  broth 

2  ounces  macaroni  or  noodles 

4  tablespoons  butter 
4  tablespoons  flour 

13^  teaspoons  salt 
34  teaspoon  pepper 

1  6-ounce  can  mushrooms 

Cook  macaroni  or  noodles  in  chicken 
broth  until  tender,  strain  off  broth.  Make 
sauce  with  butter,  flour,  and  broth,  season 
with  salt  and  pepper.  Drain  and  slice 
mushrooms.  Arrange  chicken,  macaroni, 
and  mushrooms  in  layers,  in  large  casserole 
or  eight  individual  casseroles.  Pour  over 
sauce.  Top  with  buttered  bread  crumbs. 
Bake  in  oven  (300")  fifteen  to  twenty  min- 
utes. 

Peach  Shortcake 

2  cups  cake  flour 
J^  teaspoon  salt 

2  teaspoons  baking  powder 
14,  teaspoon  soda 

34  cup  sugar 

J/?  cup  shortening 

x/2  cuP  buttermilk  or  sour  milk 

3  cups  sliced  fresh  peaches 
Yi  cup  sugar 

1  teaspoon  cinnamon 

Sift  flour  with  salt,  baking  powder,  soda, 
and  sugar.  Cut  in  shortening  until  mixture 
resembles  coarse  crumbs.  Add  milk,  mix 
only  until  dough  follows  fork  around  bowl. 
Pat  out  in  greased  eight-inch  square  pan. 
Bake  in  hot  oven  (425°)  twenty  minutes. 
Split  hot  shortcake.  Fill  and  top  with 
sliced  peaches,  sprinkle  with  remaining 
sugar  and  cinnamon.  Serve  with  cream, 
plain  or  whipped. 

AUGUST  1949 


A  language  that 

mtjfy  f&u  eon  4€4u£e^to#t€£ 


Your  baby  has  a  language  all  his 
own  .  .  .  but  how  well  you  under- 
stand it!  The  cry  that  says  he's  hun- 
gry. The  small  sounds  he  makes 
while  you're  feeding  him — sounds 
saying  "this  tastes  good."  And  when 
you  hold  him  'high  —  the  merry 
gurgle. 

Of  course,  your  baby's  welfare 
and  happiness  depend  largely  on 
the  things  you  do.  Right  at  the  top 
of  the  list  is  the  kind  of  milk  you 
give  him.  Is  it  always  easy  to  digest 
— causing  no  harmful  upsets?  Does 
it  provide  all  the  food  substances  he 
needs  to  enable  him- to  grow  sturdy, 
with  sound  teeth  and  straight,  strong 
bones? 

If  the  milk  you  give  your  baby 


is  Sego  Milk,  your  answer  to  those 
questions  can  be  a  definite  "yes." 
Sego  Milk  is  always  easy  for  babies 
to  digest.  Always  uniformly  rich 
in  the  nourishing  food  substances 
of  whole  milk.  As  safe,  in  its  sealed 
can,  .as  if  there  were  no  harmful 
germ  in  the  world.  And  then  it's 
fortified  with  pure  crystalline  vita- 
min D — the  sunshine  vitamin  that 
works  with  the  minerals  of  milk 
to  enable  your  baby  to  develop 
straight,  strong  bones — sound  teeth 
— and  to  make  the  best  of  growth. 
These  are  the  reasons  why  Sego 
Milk  babies  are,  as  a  rule,  well, 
sturdy,  happy  babies.  And  with  all 
its  extraordinary  qualities,  Sego 
Milk  costs  less  than  any  other  form 
of  milk. 


te&m 


This  seal  certifies  that  all  statements  made 
here  about  Sego  Milk  have  been  accepted  as 
true  by  the  Council  on  Foods  and  Nutrition 
of  the  American  Medical  Association. 

This  seal  certifies  that  the  Wisconsin  Alumni 
Research  Foundation  makes  periodic  tests  to 
determine  that  Sego  Milk  diluted  with  an  equal 
amount  of  water  always  gives  you  400  units 
of  vitamin  D  per  quart. 

FREE  TO  MOTHERS!  This  handy  book  that 
makes  it  easier  for  you  to  care  for  and  train  your 
baby.  Dozens  of  the  most  important  questions  about  the 
care  and  training  of  your  baby  are  answered  in  this 
64-page  illustrated  book.  Approved  by  a  well-known  doc- 
tor. Praised  enthusiastically  by  mothers  all  over  the  west. 
Send  for  your  free  copy  of  this  helpful  book  today. 
Address:  Sego  Milk  Co.,  Dept.  E-4,  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah. 

SEGO  MILK  PRODUCTS  CO. 
Originator  of  Evaporated  Milk  in  the  Intermountain  West 

Plants  in  Richmond,  Utah;  Preston  and  Buhl,  Idaho 


517 


SNACK 
SNATCHERS 

Always  be  prepared 
with  some  of  this  new 


t* 


for  the  "refrigerator  raid- 
ers" in  your  family!  The 
youngsters  love  it  for 
after- school  sandwiches. 
Dad  goes  for  it  on  crack- 
ers ...  it  satisfies  but  with 
no  "heavy"  feeling  even 
late  at  night. 


Always  packed  6H  oz. 
Net  Contents  to  a  can. 

Look  for  "Net  Contents"  on  label 
every  time  you  buy  Grated  Tuna. 


Trademark  of  Van  Camp  Sea  Food    Co.  Inc.,  Terminal  Island,  Calif. 


MMmGJtm 
mi  M.C.P.  way 

IS  SO  QUICK, 

EASY  and  SURt! 


Y.M.M.LA.  General  Board 


"\17ith  the  approval  of  the  First  Pres- 
idency, General  Superintendent 
Elbert  R.  Curtis  has  announced  the  ap- 
pointment of  William  B.  Smart  and 
Crawford  Gates  to  the  general  board 
of  the  Y.M.M.LA. 

Elder  Smart,  first  assistant  to  the 
superintendent  of  Y.M.M.LA.  in  the 
Salt  Lake  City  Twelfth  Ward,  at  the 
time  of  his  appointment,  is  a  reporter 
for  the  Deseret  News.  Born  at  Provo, 
Utah,  he  is  the  son  of  Patriarch  Thom- 
as L.  Smart  of  the  Portland  (Oregon) 
Stake.  He  is  a  graduate  of  Reed  Col- 
lege, Portland,  where  he  was  elected 
to  Phi  Beta  Kappa,  the  national  schol- 
astic fraternity.  He  served  in  the  army 
for  four  years  during  World  War  II. 

Elder  Smart  is  an  ardent  sportsman, 
and  has  worked  with  Explorer  groups 
in  the  Mutuals.  He  has  been  assigned 
to  the  M  Men  committee  of  the  general 
board. 


WILLIAM  B.  SMART  CRAWFORD  GATES 

JPlder  Gates,  composer  of  "The 
Promised  Valley,"  for  the  Utah 
Centennial,  was  born  in  San  Francisco. 
All  four  of  his  great-grandfathers  were 
Utah  Pioneers.  Crawford  Gates  started 
playing  the  piano  at  the  age  of  eight, 
and  later  took  up  violin,  viola,  clarinet, 
trumpet,  organ,  harp,  and  other  instru- 
ments to  be  able  to  write  music  for 
them. 

He  is  an  Eagle  Scout,  a  former  as- 
sistant scoutmaster,  and  has  served  the 
Church  as  chorister,  Aaronic  Priest- 
hood supervisor,  and  an  officer  and 
teacher  of  the  Sunday  School  in  Palo 
Alto  (California)  Ward.  He  filled  a 
mission  in  the  Eastern  States,  1940-42, 
where  he  served  as  mission  music  di- 
rector and  conductor  of  the  Mormon 
male  chorus  of  Philadelphia,  participat- 
ing in  fifty  broadcasts  for  the  Church. 
In  the  navy  during  World  War  II,  he 
was  an  M.I.A.  group  leader  and  taught 
Sunday  School  in  Kihei  Branch,  Maui, 
Hawaiian  Islands. 

At  present  he  has  a  two-year  leave 
of  absence  from  Brigham  Young  Uni- 
versity music  department,  to  complete 
his  doctorate.  He  is  assigned  to  the 
music  committee  of  the  general  board. 

THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


On  The  Bookrack 

{Concluded  from  page  511) 

YOUTH  ASKS  ABOUT  RELIGION 

(Jack  Finegan.    Association  Press, 
New  York.   1948.   191  pages.  $2.00.) 

T~^\R.  Finegan,  a  minister  of  the  Dis- 
ciples  of  Christ,  has  collected  one 
hundred  questions  frequently  asked  him 
by  young  people.  He  has  divided  these 
questions  into  twelve  groups  under: 
The  spirit  of  the  quest,  exploring  the 
universe,  understanding  evolution  and 
history,  God,  Jesus  Christ,  the  Bible, 
the  Church,  the  other  religions,  philos- 
ophies of  religion,  prayer  and  worship, 
religious  living,  and  immortality.  His 
brief  answers  are  generally  nonsec- 
tarian,  and  in  most  cases  conform  to 
the  best  knowledge  and  belief.  The 
book  will  be  useful  because  of  the 
questions,  if  nothing  else.  The  an- 
swers given  are  all  thought  provoking. 
It  is  another  of  the  useful  Haddan 
House  books. — /.  A.  W. 

RURAL  SOCIOLOGY 

(Lowry  Nelson.  American  Book 
Company,  New  York. 
1948.  567  pages.  $4.25.) 
HpHis  latest  addition  to  the  American 
Sociological  Series  covers  the  rural 
field,  in  which  Latter-day  Saints  are 
keenly  interested.  Rural  life  has 
changed  greatly  in  the  passing  years. 
This  book  brings  together,  in  a  simple 
but  dependable  manner,  for  the  use  of 
students  and  general  readers,  the  facts 
and  theories  regarding  rural  life.  It 
emphasizes  the  place  of  social  institu- 
tions in  a  rural  environment,  and  the 
various  forms  of  social  inter-action 
among  rural  groups.  There  is  assem- 
bled in  this  book  a  mass  of  material 
which  those  interested  have  been 
obliged  to  hunt  for,  far  and  wide,  in 
periodicals  and  books.  That  makes 
the  book  more  useful  than  ever.  Tables, 
graphs,  and  pictures  help  to  visualize 
the  statements  made  in  the  text.  The 
author,  Dr.  Lowry  Nelson,  formerly  of 
Brigham  Young  University,  now  pro- 
fessor of  sociology  in  the  University 
of  Minnesota,  has  achieved  national 
renown  in  his  chosen  field.  The  series 
itself  is  under  the  general  editorship  of 
Dr.  Kimball  Young,  also  of  Utah 
origin. — /.  A.  W. 


pMs  the  ftcnic  Complete 


POEM 

By  Ruby  Zagoren 

The  heart  must  speak  or  bleed 
To  silent  death; 
The  heart  must  speak  although 
The  faintest  breath. 

And  when  the  heart  has  spoken 
Its  weight  of  words, 
The  heart  can  soar  beyond 
The  swiftest  birds. 

AUGUST  1949 


Sandwiches  made  with 
Royal  Table  Queen  Bread 
are  temptingly  delicious  4 
and  nourishing.  They  help 
to  make  a  feast  out  of  any 
picnic. 


Tresh  atyowr  Grpcerls 


Proudly  produced  by    - 
ROYAL  BAKING  COMPANY 
Salt  Lake  City  and  Ogden 


ENRICHED 

with  Vitamins  and  Iron 


Delicious  (Bakes! 

Just  add 
water,  mix 

and  bake! 

%  DEVIL'S  FUDGE 

•  GOLDEN 

•  WHITE 
O  SPICE 


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AT  YOUR  GROCER'S 


¥   LEARN  AT  HOME-SPARE  TIME 


Fascinating  field. Design  own  wardrobe  at  consid- 
erable saving.  Gainexperience  designing  for  oth- 
J  era.  It  may  lead  tothrilling  career — even  a  shop  of 
" yourown  some  day.  Basic  "learn-by-doing"  course 
under  guidance  of  qualified  teachers  provides  ex- 
cellent starting  point  for  a  career.  Send  for  free 
booklet,  "A  Career  in  Fashion  Designing. 
NATIONAL  SCHOOL  OF  DRESS  DESIGN 
1315  So.  Michigan  Ave.        Dept.   139-C   Chicago  5,  III. 


Delicious 
SUN-VISTA 

BLACK-EYED  PEAS 

BUTTER  BEANS 

BABY  LIMA  BEANS 

PINTO  BEANS 

GREEN  CHILI   PEPPERS 

PINTO  BEANS  WITH  PORK 

At  Your  Grocers 


519 


Is  Your  Quorum  Sending 
The  ERA  to  Servicemen? 

■Rrom  the  office  of  The  Improve- 
ment Era  the  general  priesthood 
committee  of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve 
has  received  the  following  communica- 
tion: 

Dear  Brethren: 

We  have  just  received  a  letter  from  the 
army  chaplain  at  Camp  Cooke,  California, 
in  which  he  says:  "We  have  a  group  of 
Mormon  men  meeting  once  each  week  and 
holding  their  Mormon  service  and  discus- 
sion group.  The  leader  of  this  group  has 
requested  that,  if  possible,  we  have  a  copy 
of  your  publication  available  for  this 
group." 

Quorum  presidencies  have  been  re- 
sponsible for  nearly  a  year  to  secure 
for  men  in  the  military  services  sub- 
scriptions to  The  Improvement  Era 
and  Church  News  from  quorum  funds. 
This  applies  to  those  bearing  the 
Aaronic  as  well  as  the  Melchizedek 
Priesthood. 

At  this  camp  there  is  a  large  con- 
centration of  L.D.S.  servicemen,  but 
apparently  not  a  single  one,  if  this  re- 
port is  correct,  is  receiving  The  Im- 
provement Era.  We  emphasize  again 
the  request  that  all  quorums  meet  this 
responsibility  without  delay. 

During  the  recent  worldwide  con- 
flict many  glowing  letters  of  praise  and 
appreciation  were  received  from  serv- 
icemen concerning  the  important  part 
The  Improvement  Era  played  in  their 
lives.  This  messenger  of  faith,  encour- 
agement, and  admonition  is  a  timely 
and  welcome  friend  of  servicemen.  It 
may  do  much  to  keep  these  young  men 
away  from  home  supplied  with  the 
highest  type  of  reading  matter.  In  a 
number  of  cases  it  has  also  proved  to 
be  a  valuable  missionary  among  those 
in  search  of  truth. 

Stake  leaders  charged  with  the  su- 
pervision of  servicemen  activities  are 
requested  to  make  every  reasonable 
effort  without  delay  to  effect  this  pro- 
gram through  Melchizedek  Priesthood 
quorums  and  ward  bishoprics  to  insure 
every  L.  D.  S.  serviceman's  receiving 
"the  Church's  greatest  missionary." 

Softball  Program  Meets 
With  Ready  Response 

Tnder  the  able  leadership  of  the  all- 
Church  softball  committee,  nearly 
all  stakes  in  the  Church  as  well  as  some 
missions  are  participating  in  what  may 
well  be  the  largest  softball  league  in 
the  United  States.  Competition  is  now 
at  its  height  and  stake  championships 
are  being  determined  so  winners  may 
engage  in  the  regional  playoffs. 
520  * 


Plans  are  now  under  way  to  conduct 
the  all-Church  softball  championship 
playoff  at  Salt  Lake  City  on  September 
15,  16,  and  17.  Winners  from  each  of 
the  thirteen  divisions  will  contest  for 
the  honor  of  being  named  Church 
champions  for  1949. 

This  is  the  first  year  of  a  softball 
program  conducted  on  a  Churchwide 
basis.  Several  stakes  have  had  teams 
of  elders  engage  in  this  sport  for  a 
number  of  years  and  in  some  areas 
inter-stake  playoffs  were  conducted, 
but  this  marks  the  inaugural  year  for 
extending  this  activity  throughout  the 
Church. 

Excellent  teams  are  playing  in  many 
stakes  and,  as  usual,  there  is  a  keen 
spirit  of  friendly  rivalry.  California 
teams  are  reaching  out  for  the  coveted 
championship  trophy  while  those  in 
Arizona,  Utah,  Idaho,  and  neighboring 
states  predict  victory  for  themselves. 
Before  the  final  game  is  played,  there 
will  be  considerable  speculation  as  to 
a  possible  championship  team,  but 
after  all  competition  is  past,  the  close 
ties  of  friendship  formed  in  such  par- 
ticipation will  remain  the  biggest  single 
prize,  and  teams  will  return  home  to 
begin  making  plans  which  will  assure 
them  of  greater  triumphs  for  the  next 
year. 

While  we  wish  gratifying  success  for 
all  teams,  we  join  with  them  in  saying, 
"May  the  best  team  win."  Each  team, 
of  course,  considers  itself  that  "best" 
team. 

Reprinted  1949  Lesson  Text 
Now  Available 

HThe  supply  of  1949  Melchizedek 
Priesthood  lesson  texts  was  ex- 
hausted several  weeks  ago.  Word  has 
just  been  received  from  the  printer  that 
an  additional  supply  is  now  available 
for  purchase.  These  may  be  purchased 
in  person  or  by  mail  from  the  Deseret 
Book  Company,  44  East  South  Temple 
Street,  Salt  Lake  City  10,  Utah. 

This  lesson  outline  will  sell  for  forty 
cents  a  copy  over  the  counter  and  for- 
ty-five cents  a  copy  by  mail  partially  to 
defray  the  recently  increased  postal 
costs.  The  supply  is  limited,  so  quo- 
rums and  individuals  are  urged  to 
secure  their  copies  while  the  supply 
lasts. 

Printing  of  the  1950  lesson  text  has 
commenced.  Announcement  will  be 
made  on  this  page  as  soon  as  it  is  avail- 
able for  purchase. 


Priesthood  Record  Keeping 
Supplies  Simplified 

Printing    of    greatly   simplified    roll, 

report,  and  minute  books  is  now  un- 
der way.  The  new  record  book  com- 
bines a  roll  and  record  section,  a  fi- 
nancial record,  minutes,  and  reports. 
The  same  basic  record  is  adapted  for 
use  of  quorums  and  groups  in  stakes  as 
well  as  missions.  This  will  be  welcome 
news  to  quorum  presidencies  and  sec- 
retaries. 

All  items  will  be  in  large  print,  and 
the  information  requested  is  stated  in 
such  a  way  that  detailed  instructions 
are  unnecessary.  Each  page  of  the  roll 
and  record  section  provides  space  for 
forty  names,  listing  all  vital  data  to- 
gether with  a  record  of  activities.  This 
will  enable  the  entire  membership  of 
most  quorums  and  groups  to  be  written 
on  one  to  three  pages,  although  books 
with  more  pages  for  larger  quorums 
will  be  available. 

Each  record  will  be  used  for  one 
calendar  year.  Following  completion, 
it  will  be  filed  in  the  Church  His- 
torian's office  with  other  essential  rec- 
ords. 

The  size  of  the  books  is  much  small- 
er. Reports  likewise  will  contain  a 
limited  amount  of  easy-to-understand 
information.  One  book  will  contain 
all  the  records  and  reports  necessary. 

It  is  anticipated  that  these  supplies 
will  be  available  within  a  short  time. 
Announcement  will  be  made  on  these 
pages  of  a  later  issue  of  The  Im- 
provement Era  as  soon  as  stakes  and 
missions  may  place  their  orders. 

More  detailed  information  concern- 
ing them  will  be  published  later. 


Truth  will  endure  for  ever  and 
for  ever,  and  every  man  that 
preaches  the  gospel  of  salvation 
may  take  the  old  text  that  some  of 
us  took  in  the  commencement  of 
the  building  up  of  the  kingdom 
of  God  upon  the  earth  in  the  last 
days,  I  took  truth  for  my  toxU  sal- 
vation for  my  subject,  and  the 
whole  world  for  my  circuit,  to  go 
as  far  as  I  could  and  talk  all  I 
could  about  it*  It  takes  every 
truth  from  every  sect  and  party. 
What!  in  a  civil  capacity  also? 
Yes.  All  law,  all  powers,  all  king- 
doms, and  all  thrones, — in  fine, 
all  things  are  under  the  control  of 
God. — Brigham  Young. 

THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


CONDUCTED  BY  THE  GENERAL  PRIESTHOOD  COMMITTEE  OF  THE  COUNCIL  OF  THE 
TWELVE  —  HAROLD  B.  LEE,  CHAIRMAN;  EZRA  TAFT  BENSON,  MARK  E.  PETERSEN, 
HENRY  D.  MOYLE,  MARION  G.  ROMNEY,  THOMAS  E.  MC  KAY,  CLIFFORD  E.  YOUNG, 
ALMA  SONNE,  LEVI  EDGAR  YOUNG,  ANTOINE  R.  IVINS,  RICHARD  L.  EVANS,  OSCAR  A. 
KIRKHAM,  S.  DILWORTH  YOUNG,  MILTON  R.  HUNTER,  BRUCE  R.  MC  CONKIE 


NO-LIQUOR-TOBACCO 
COLUMN 

Conducted  by 
Dr.  Joseph  F.  Merrill 


Alcoholics  in  Industry 

"pROM  the  Quarterly  Journal  of 
Studies  On  Alcohol,  we  learn  that 
conservative  statistical  estimates  show 
that  2,060,000  alcoholics  are  regularly 
employed.  One  million  three  hundred 
seventy  thousand  male  alcoholics  are 
employed  in  manufacturing  plants,  by 
construction  companies,  and  by  public 
utilities.  The  male  alcoholic  in  indus- 
try loses  an  average  of  twenty-two 
working  days  annually — a  total  of 
29,700,000  working  days  from  the 
acute  effects  of  alcohol  alone.  In  ad- 
dition, the  alcoholic  loses  each  year 
two  days  more  than  non-alcoholics  be- 
cause of  various  ailments.  The  alco- 
holic is  responsible  annually  for  1,500 
fatal  accidents  at  work,  and  2,850  fatal 
accidents  at  home,  in  public  places,  and 
in  traffic.  This  is  an  accident  rate  of 
321  for  each  100,000,  which  is  twice 
that  of  the  non-alcoholic.  The  work- 
ing life  of  the  chronic  alcoholic  is  re- 
duced by  approximately  twelve  years. 
A  severe  loss  to  industry  occurs  when 
an  experienced  worker,  or  executive  is 
dismissed  because  of  excess  drinking. 
Estimates  of  the  cost  to  industry  of 
alcohol  addiction  among  employees  are 
staggering. 

investigation  of  Crime  Crisis 

Bishop  Wilbur  E.  Hammaker,  exec- 
utive vice  president  of  the  board  of 
temperance  of  the  Methodist  Church, 
in  a  release  to  the  press,  calls  for  the 
appointment  of  a  presidential  com- 
mission to  investigate  the  crime  crisis, 
stating  that  we  are  in  danger  of  being 
overwhelmed  by  a  calamity  of  major 
proportions. 

Slowly,  but  surely,  the  mind  of 
America  is  becoming  aware  of  a  con- 
tinuing orgy  of  crime.  The  offenses 
are  startlingly  bestial.  As  the  editor 
of  the  Richmond,  Va.,  News  Leader 
wrote  a  few  days  ago: 

It  is  a  rare  day  that  does  not  find  in  the 
papers  some  such  monstrous  crime  as  that 
of  the  sex  murder  and  attempted  incinera- 

AUGUST  1949 


tion  of  a  six-year-old  boy  in  East  Lansing, 
Michigan. 

The  stories  of  all  sorts  of  horrible 
crimes  stain  the  pages  of  our  papers 
and,  worse  than  that,  stain  the  lives  of 
our  people. 

America  is  beginning  to  sense  the 
significance  of  the  abounding  and  in- 
creasing wave  of  lawlessness.  It  is 
more  than  a  wave.  It  is  a  great  and 
rising  tide.  As  a  public  leader  said  a 
few  days  ago,  and  he  was  not  a  "Dry," 
or  a  "Preacher": 

The  criminal  situation  is  so  grave  that  it 
calls  for  a  study  at  the  highest  level  by  the 
best  qualified  authority.  I  would  ask  Mr. 
Truman  to  give  consideration  to  the  crisis 
and  name  a  presidential  commission  to  in- 
vestigate the  new  prevalence  of  crime. 

Some  such  official  cognizance  of  our 
frightful  disregard  of  all  human  rights 
by  the  criminally  inclined  section  of 
our  population  is  due,  long  overdue. 
We  might  as  well  look  with  open  eyes 
at  what  is  happening  when  there  is  no 
prohibition  of  the  liquor  traffic.  In  the 
twenties  and  early  thirties  of  this  cen- 
tury, the  blame  for  bad  conditions  was 
laid  at  the  door  of  the  Drys.  The  goat 
was  Prohibition. 

Is  the  blame  now  to  be  laid  at  the 
door  of  repeal  and  legalized  liquor? 
That  would  seem  to  be  fair.  Especial- 
ly, would  that  be  a  just  indictment  in 
view  of  current  newspaper  stories?  In 
almost  every  instance  of  brutal  murder 
or  horrible  crime,  the  reporter  on  the 
trail  soon  scents  alcohol.  Honest  re- 
porting constrains  him  to  write  in  this 
vein:  He  or  she  had  been  making  a 
round  of  the  taverns.  He  or  she  or  they 
were  under  the  influence.  Yes,  it  is 
time  that  the  nation  took  time  to  stop, 
look,  and  listen. 

The  matter  is  so  extremely  serious, 
that  others  than  reformers  and  near 
reformers  should  be  taking  a  hand. 
We  are  in  danger  of  being  over- 
whelmed by  a  calamity  of  major  pro- 
portions. The  stench  of  nations  that 
have  died  of  rottenness  cannot  be 
escaped  by  anyone  who  travels  along 
the  road  of  history  through  the  suc- 
cessive centuries.  Morals  are  not  lux- 
uries; they  are  necessities. 

Liquor  by  the  Drink 

A    legislative    committee    in    Texas 


has  rejected  the  proposal  to  legalize  the 
sale  of  liquor  by  the  drink.  Such  laws 
inevitably  result  in  the  opening  of 
cocktail  rooms,  which  always  prove  a 
demoralizing  influence  on  young  peo- 
ple of  the  "better  class"  homes.  It  is 
in  these  drinking  places  that  they 
make  contacts  with  underworld  char- 
acters. Liquor  by  the  drink  also  serves 
the  convenience  of  night  clubs,  which 
are  perhaps  responsible  for  more 
drunken  driving  than  any  other  influ- 
ence in  metropolitan  areas. 

A  Pledge  Asked 

A  ccording  to  the  Denver  Post,  May 
•  20,  1949,  at  the  ninety-second  an- 
nual convention  of  the  Southern  Bap- 
tists, held  in  Oklahoma  City,  all  six 
million  Baptists,  from  President  Tru- 
man down,  were  asked  to  sign  a  pledge 
for  total  abstinence  from  liquor. 

In  this  column  several  months  ago 
attention  was  called  to  a  movement  of 
the  Methodist  Church  in  the  United 
States  to  secure  a  similar  pledge  from 
its  members. 

It  was  in  1808,  we  learn,  that  Dr. 
Billy  James  Clark,  a  distinguished 
physician,  organized  the  first  temper- 
ance society  in  America.  The  pledge 
taken  by  its  members  read: 

No  member  shall  drink  rum,  gin,  whisky, 
or  any  distilled  spirits  or  composition  of 
any  of  them,  except  by  the  advice  of  a 
physician,  or  in  case  of  actual  disease,  also 
except  at  public  dinners. 

It  was  not  until  1826  that  the  or- 
ganized temperance  forces  became  con- 
vinced that  moderation  in  the  uses  of 
spirituous  liquors  as  a  solution  of  the 
problem  was  impractical.  Thomas  Jef- 
ferson was  one  of  the  first  men  of  that 
day  to  become  convinced  of  this.  It 
was  in  this  year  that  this  conviction 
had  become  common  to  all  temperance 
people  of  the  day,  so  the  pledge  of  the 
American  Temperance  Society  in  that 
year  called  for  total  abstinence  from 
the  stronger  drinks.  In  part  the  pledge 
read: 

We,  whose  names  are  hereunto  annexed, 
believing  that  the  use  of  ardent  spirits  as 
a  drink  is  not  only  needless  but  also  harm- 
ful to  the  social,  civil,  and  religious  inter- 
ests of  men;  .  .  .  We  do  therefore  agree 
that  we  will  not  use  or  traffic  in  it,  that 
we  will  not  provide  it  as  articles  of  enter- 
tainment, or  for  persons  in  our  employment, 
and  that  in  all  suitable  ways  we  will  dis- 
countenance the  use  of  it  in  the  community. 

Thus  the  temperance  movement  in 
the  United  States  was  begun  and  suc- 
ceeded in  1920,  in  getting  national  pro- 
hibition. Many  accepted  this  as  ending 
the  curse  of  liquor  in  America  and  be- 
came quiescent,  only  to  learn  that  laws, 
however  good,  do  not  enforce  them- 
selves. 

521 


Aaronic  Priesthood 

Dealing  With  the  Absentee 

A    few  leaders  feel  it  an  "unjustice 

that  the  quorum  must  now  account 
for  members  living  away  from  home 
since  the  Standard  Quorum  Award 
enrolment  was  discontinued  as  of  Jan- 
uary 1,  1949. 

It  is  recognized  that  in  a  few  isolated 
cases,  and  especially  in  very  small 
groups,  a  boy  living  away  from  home 
and  in  such  location  as  to  preclude  any 
Church  activity,  may  bring  down  quo- 
rum or  group  records  to  the  point 
where  the  earning  of  the  award  will  be 
impossible.  In  such  cases,  we  have 
been  asked  for  some  adjustment  of  the 
requirements  to  meet  this  situation. 

We  cannot  modify  the  requirements 
— they  stand  as  published.  Where  it 
becomes  entirely  impossible  for  a  small 
group  to  qualify  for  the  quorum  award 
because  of  an  absentee  member,  there 
still  remains  the  individual  award  for 
personal  excellence.  After  all,  we  feel 
our  first  concern  should  be  the  look- 
ing after  of  each  individual  member, 
letting  "quorum  chips"  fall  where  they 
may. 

It  is  a  safe  prediction  that  quorums 
or  groups  qualifying  for  the  award  for 
1949  will  be  those  whose  leaders  and 
members  have  paid  particular  atten- 
tion to  the  individual  boy,  recognizing 
that  the  qualifying  of  the  individual  is 
the  surest  way,  the  only  way,  to  quali- 
fy the  quorum  or  group. 

In  the  final  analysis,  the  elimination 
of  the  Standard  Quorum  Award  en- 
rolment as  a  means  for  increasing  the 
requirements  was  preferred  over  the 
retention  of  such  enrolment  and  the 
raising  of  the  standards. 

One  other  observation:  It  is  a  fact 
that  since  the  elimination  of  the  Stand- 
ard Quorum  Award  enrolment,  our 
absentee  boys  are  receiving  far  more 
personal  attention  from  bishoprics  and 
other  Aaronic  Priesthood  leaders  than 
was  ever  the  case  before. 

How  can  we  count  it  a  loss,  an  "in- 


Presenting  the  Champions  from  Inglewood  Ward,  Inglewood  Stake 


GARRY   VAN   VLIET 
ALLEN  EVERLEY  JACK  SOLOMON 

— Photo  by  Robert  Stum,  Los  Angeles 

Tn  a  communication  submitted  by  Mel- 
vin  H.  Johnson  on  behalf  of  Bishop 
Arlow  W.  Nalder,  Inglewood  Ward, 
Inglewood  Stake,  we  are  introduced  to 
these  Latter-day  Saint  champions  and 
made  acquainted  with  their  records  as 
follows: 

An  achievement  has  recently  been  made 
in  our  ward  that  is  not  only  newsworthy 
but  almost  unbelievable. 

Each  year  the  Horace  Mann  Junior  High 
School,  one  of  the  largest  public  schools  of 
Los  Angeles  with  an  enrolment  of  nearly 


justice,"  even  though  we  fail  to  qualify 
quite  as  many  quorums  for  the  Stand- 
ard Quorum  Award,  if,  in  the  mean- 
time, we  reach  out  to  warm  the  hearts 
and  to  save  the  souls  of  more  of  our 
boys  who  are  living  away  from  home? 


Idaho  Stake  Honors  Youth  and  Parents  in  Unique  Award  Program 

fjjf 


two  thousand  students,  presents  a  most  cov- 
eted award  to  the  young  boy  who,  for  the 
year  preceding,  has  distinguished  himself  as 
the  most  outstanding  student  in  athletics, 
character,  and  scholastics.  This  is  a  perpet- 
ual trophy  sponsored  by  former  students  of 
the  school  who  are  presently  renowned  in 
the  field  of  sports.  Notably  among  the 
sponsors  are  Gerald  Priddy  and  Lou  Strin- 
ger of  the  major  leagues  in  the  baseball 
world. 

This  award  is  made  at  the  annual  Fa- 
thers and  Sons  banquet,  the  highlight  of 
the  school  year  calendar.  In  1947,  this 
award  was  presented  to  Gary  Van  Vliet 
(center  in  the  photo).  The  succeeding  year, 
1948,  saw  the  honor  bestowed  upon  Allen 
Everley  (left)  and  this  current  year,  1949, 
Jack  Solomon  (right)  was  similarly  hon- 
ored. Three  consecutive  years  the  award 
was  presented  to  three  young  Mormon 
boys,  all  of  them  members  of  the  Inglewood 
Ward  of  the  Inglewood  Stake  of  Zion. 

Gary,  Allen,  and  Jack  are  just  as  out- 
standing in  their  Church  work.  All  are 
very  active  members  of  the  teachers'  quo- 
rum. 

We  point  up  the  communique — 
Gary,  Allen,  and  Jack  are  champions 
in  "athletics,  character,  and  scholas- 
tics," and  "are  just  as  outstanding  in 
their  Church  work."  Could  more  be 
said  of  Latter-day  Saint  boys?  May 
these  high  standards  and  pleasing  ap- 
praisals of  their  conduct  always  be  the 
criteria  of  their  lives. 


Supposing  all  Aaronic  Priest- 
hood records  for  1949,  individual 
and  quorum,  were  to  be  called  in 
now,  where  would  your  boys  and 
your  quorums  be — in  the  parade 
of  success,  or  watching  the  par- 
ade go  by? 


522 


Three  hundred  Aaronic  Priesthood  members  and 
L.D.S.  girls,  with  their  parents,  were  special  guests 
of  the  Idaho  Stake  Aaronic  Priesthood  committee 
and  ward  bishoprics  in  a  program  and  social  hon- 
oring award  achievements. 

In  the  photo,  Lee  A.  Palmer  represented  the 
Presiding  Bishopric  in  the  presentation  of  three 
Standard  Quorum  Awards  and  twenty-eight  individ- 
ual awards  to  Aaronic  Priesthood  members.  G.  Wal- 
lace Fox  presented  three  Standard  Group  Awards 
and  thirty-seven  individual  awards  to  L.D.S.  girls. 

Fallowing  the  program  and  presentation  of  awards, 
a  lively  game  fest  was  conducted  by  Onan  Mecham 
and  Henry  Maxfield. 

The  stake  presidency,  high  council,  bishoprics,  and 
stake  and  ward  youth  leaders  were  well  represented. 
A.  Wilder  Hatch  is  chairman  of  the  stake  Aaronic 
Priesthood  committee.  Ross  D.  Redford  (extreme 
left  in  the  photo}  and  Luella  Peterson  were  in 
charge  of  this  outstanding  event. 

Idaho  Stake  youth  are  already  looking  forward  to 
another  social  just  like  it  in  7950  and  stake  and 
ward  youth  leaders  are  determined  not  to  disappoint 
their  young  people. 

THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


HH  Leaded  ou  <=Lee  _^v.  rait. 


mer 


ADULT  MEMBERS 

OF   AARONIC 

PRIESTHOOD  HONOR 

GROUP  ADVISER  ON 

SEVENTY-FIRST 

BIRTHDAY 
ANNIVERSARY 

George  E.  Manworing, 
Libeity  Ward,  Liberty 
Stoke,  was  on  the  re- 
ceiving end  when  his 
class  of  adult  members 
ot  the  Aaronic  Priest- 
hood honored  their  class 
instructor  in  a  surprise 
party  on  his  seventy-lirst 
birthday  anniversary.  He 
was  presented  with  a 
book  which  he  holds  in 
the  photograph,  and  with 
a  lovely  birthday  coke 
held  by  his  wife,  Eunice 
Walker   Manwaring. 

Other  group  advisers 
are  Arthur  Woodworth, 
Edgar  Kelly,  and  Alfred 
Harris. 


Aaronic  Priesthood  Choruses 

Planning  the  Season's  Work  in  Musk 


WARD  YOUTH  LEADERSHIP 

OUTLINE  OF  STUDY 

DISCONTINUED 

'T'his  is  a  brief  reminder  that 
"^  the  Outline  of  Study  for  use 
in  connection  with  the  Ward 
Youth  Leadership  meeting  has 
been  discontinued. 

If  you  have  not  read  the  full 
announcement  of  the  change, 
please  turn  to  this  page  in  The 
Improvement  Era  for  July  1949 
and  become  informed  of  the  rea- 
sons for  the  change. 

We  emphasize  again  that  the 
Ward  Youth  Leadership  is  to  be 
held  each  month  and  that  only 
the  Outline  of  Study  has  been 
discontinued. 


A  n  important  item  leading  to  the  suc- 
cess   of    the    Aaronic    Priesthood 
chorus  is  early  planning  of  the  season's 
activities. 

There  are  four  phases  of  program 
planning  which  deserve  the  attention  of 
stake  and  ward  Aaronic  Priesthood 
choristers.    They  are: 

1 .  Selection  and  preparation  of  song 
material 

In  selecting  song  material,  thought 
should  be  given  to  its  appropriateness 
for  rendition  in  the  meeting  to  which 
the  chorus  has  been  assigned  to  sing 
and  the  capabilities  of  the  boys  to  sing 
the  songs.  In  teaching  the  songs  to  the 
chorus,  the  chorister  should  thoroughly 
learn  each  voice  part  to  be  taught. 
Adequate  leadership  is  not  possible 
without  a  proper  knowledge  of  the 
business  at  hand.  Inspiration  and  en- 
thusiasm will  be  the  result  of  thorough 
preparation. 

2.  Social  events 

A  program  of  social  activities  is  a 
strong  force  of  motivation.  Barriers 
are  broken  down  through  social  con- 
tacts. A  more  intimate  acquaintance  is 
afforded,  and  a  keener  sense  of  appre- 
ciation and  loyalty  is  built  up  which 


obligates  the  boys  to  respond  to,  the 
chorister's  leadership. 

3.  Retesting  of  each  voice 

Following  a  relatively  inactive  sum- 
mer season  it  will  be  necessary  to  re- 
test  each  boy's  voice.  The  results  of 
the  test  should  be  carefully  recorded. 
Only  by  so  doing  can  one  expect  to 
preserve  the  quality  of  the  voice  and 
guard  against  the  danger  of  assigning 
the  boy  to  an  improper  singing  part. 

4.  Variety  of  song  material 

The  songbook  Aaronic  Priesthood 
Choruses  provides  a  variety  of  song 
material.  An  ample  repertoire  should 
be  acquired  by  the  chorus  which  in- 
clude deeply  religious  hymns,  songs  of 
a  rousing  nature,  and  others  which  are 
recreational.  The  chorister  should  plan 
his  program  well  ahead  of  the  date  of 
performance  and  carefully  select  that 
which  will  show  the  boys  to  the  best 
advantage  and  at  the  same  time  inspire 
those  who  listen. 

Early   planning   is   the   first   step   to 


success. 


Adult  Members  Aaronic  Priesthood 

The  Value  of  Accurate  Records 

A  careful  examination  of  the  roll 
book  for  the  adult  members  of  the 
Aaronic  Priesthood  will  indicate  its 
usefulness  in  determining,  in  the  short- 
est time,  the  status  of  each  member  of 
the  group  as  he  renews  his  activity. 

Complete  information  relative  to  his 
attendance  at  priesthood  meetings,  cot- 
tage or  other  meetings,  or  the  perform- 
ance of  any  Church  work  is  vital  to  a 
continued  interest  in  his  progress.  Most 
important  of  all  is  the  record  of  visits 
made  to  the  homes  of  the  brethren,  for 
through  these  contacts  barriers  are 
broken;  inferiority  complexes  are  over- 
come; personalized  friendship  begin. 

Well-kept  records  are  an  indication 
of  efficiency  and  provide  an  avenue  by 
which  the  committee  can  keep  its  finger 
on  the  activity  pulse  of  each  adult 
member  of  the  Aaronic  Priesthood. 


FIRST  INDIVIDUAL  CERTIFICATES  OF  AWARD  FOR 
NORTHERN  CALIFORNIA  MISSION 

These  happy  recipients  of  Individual  Certificates 
of  Award  are  the  first  of  the  Aaronic  Priesthood 
members  and  of  the  L.D.S.  girls  to  receive  this 
recognition  in  the  Northern  California  Mission.  The 
awards  were  presented  at  a  recent  conference  ot 
the  Klamath  Falls  District.  We  are  delighted  to  wel- 
come these  youthful  successes  to  the  award  family 
of  approximately  26,518  young  men  and  young 
women  for  the  year  1948. 

Left  to  right,  front  row:  Gilbert  Denny,  Lyle 
Shaffer,  Jahala  Shaffer  (presented  Golden  Gleaner 
pin),  Nadean  Morris,  Clair  Schiffman.  Back  row, 
An/id  Carlson,  Robert  Shirley,  Kay  Behnke,  Eleanore 
Jones,  Edna  Morris,  Donna  Peterson,  Doyle  Schiff- 
man. 

AUGUST  1949 


523 


For  the  Youth 
of  the  Church 


To  help  Latter-day  Saint  youth  meet 
the  challenging  problems  of  today  the 
Church  provides  a  unique  educational 
opportunity  at  Brigham  Young  Uni- 
versity. It  is  unique  among  all  col- 
leges and  universities  of  the  land  be- 
cause in  it  alone  is  available  the  best 
in  intellectual  development  along  with 
the  all-important  emphasis  on  spiritu- 
ality and  character. 


For  young  Latter-day  Saints  the  Uni- 
versity offers  another  vital  advantage 
— association  with  young  men  and 
women  from  all  parts  of  the  Church  in 
the  choicest  student  body  in  the  world. 
To  its  campus  last  year  came  5,600  stu- 
dents from  all  sections  of  the  United 
States,  Canada,  Mexico,  Brazil,  Argen- 
tina, the  Pacific  Islands,  and  countries 
in  Europe  and  Asia. 


Opening  Dates  for  the  Autumn  Quarter 

Sept.  21 — Orientation  and  Tests  for  New  Students 
Sept.  26,  27 — Registration  for  Regular  Students 


All  new  students  desiring  to  enter  in  the  Autumn  Quarter  should 
send  applications  to  the  Admissions  Committee  by  September  1. 


Winter  Quarter  Registration — January  2,  3 
Spring  Quarter  Registration — March  20,  21 

Brigham  Young 


524 


THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


COLLEGES  AND  DIVISIONS 

Colleges  of  Applied  Science,  Arts  and  Sciences,  Commerce,  Education,  Fine  Arts, 
Graduate   School,  Division  of   Religion,  Extension  Division,  Research  Division 


DEPARTMENTS  OF  INSTRUCTION 


Accounting  and  Business 
Administration 

Agricultural  Economics 

Agronomy 

Animal  Husbandry 

Archaeology 

Art 

Bacteriology 

Bible  &  Modern  Scripture 
Botany 
Chemistry 
Church  History 
Church  Organization  and 
Administration 


Economics 

Educational  Administration 

Elementary  Education 

English 

Finance  and  Banking 

Geology  and  Geography 

Health,  Physical  Education 
and  Recreation 

History 

Home  Economics 

Horticulture  and  Landscape 
Architecture 

Journalism 

Marketing 


Mathematics 

Mechanic  Arts 

Modern  &  Classical  Languages 

Music 

Philosophy  of  Education 

Physics 

Political  Science 

Psychology 

Secondary  Education 

Secretarial  Practice 

Sociology 

Speech 

Theology  and  Religious 

Philosophy 
Zoology  and  Entomology 


University 


PROVO 
UTAH 


AUGUST  1949 


525 


■'•■■■ 

■ 


fa 

GaSrttt 


ouhA! 


Special  Morning  Milk  is  the 
evaporated  milk  especially 
prepared  for  babies.  It  is 
recommended  by  many 
doctors  because  it  is  so  safe, 
so  easy  to  digest,  and  be- 
cause it  has  extra  vitamins 
A  and  D  needed  for  sound 
bones  and  teeth.  Ask  your 
doctor  about  Special  Morn- 
ing Milk  for  that  special 
baby  of  yours. 


Evaporated 


Special 

MORNING  MILK 


delicious  in  summer  salads! 

get  some  at  your  grocer's  today! 


Your  Library  Should  Include- 

IN   THE   GOSPEL    NET 

By   DR.  JOHN   A.   WIDTSOE 
$1.75  at  all  Intermountain  Bookstores 


0  Te  Of  Little  Faith 

(Concluded  from  page  503) 
of  protection.  Her  parents  had  gone 
ahead,  and  she  searched  the  gaunt 
faces.  They  all  looked  the  same — 
filled  with  hope,  yet  hopeless.  No 
one  noticed  her.  They  all  watched 
the  stocky  man  with  the  brown  hair 
and  bushy  beard.  They  drank  in 
every  word  he  said  as  the  parched 
earth  would  drink  in  the  rain  they 
all  prayed  for. 

He  bowed  his  head.  And  every 
head  before  him  bowed  too.  He 
prayed,  with  simple  words  —  elo- 
quent because  of  their  simplicity.  He 
thanked  the  Lord  for  the  many 
blessings  bestowed  upon  his  chil- 
dren, for  the  guidance  he  had  given 
them,  for  the  beauties  he  had  put 
into  their  lives.  He  asked  blessings 
on  all  who  were  in  need  and  who 
were  deserving.  But  for  this  great 
body  of  people  before  him,  he  asked 
only  one  thing — rain.  The  prayer 
was  perhaps  twenty  minutes  long. 
And  not  a  head  had  been  raised. 
Even  Amanda's  young  impatience 
was  quieted. 

And  then  it  began.  A  soft  patter 
enveloped  the  pavilion  in  which  the 
congregation  sat.  It  rose  from  a 
whispering  promise  to  a  roaring  ful- 
filment. The  prayer  was  ended,  but 
the  multitude  sat  with  their  heads 
still  bowed,  afraid  to  see  what  their 
faith  and  prayers  had  wrought.  And 
when  they  finally  looked;  wonder 
and  fear  and  ecstatic  joy  filled  them 
and  shone  from  their  faces. 

Amanda  and  the  stocky  man  were 
the  only  ones  standing — and  the 
only  ones  who  looked  not-at-all  sur- 
prised but  exceedingly  pleased. 
Amanda  scanned  the  crowds  again 
with  a  little  frown  then  walked 
down  the  long  aisle  to  the  stalky 
man  who  held  out  his  hand  to  her. 

"I  can't  find  Mommy  and  Daddy. 
Would  you  like  to  share  my  um- 
brella?" she  said  proudly.  And  the 
two  of  them  walked  out  into  the 
rain,  hand  in  hand,  under  the  leaky 
old  umbrella. 


526 


BETROTHED 
By  Elizabeth  Reeves  Humphreys 

Her  beauty  was  breath-taking; 
She  had  an  inner  glow, 
And  heaven's  own  coloring — 
It  seemed  to  me  as  though 
She'd  run  across  a  rainbow 
On  tiptoe. 

THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


How  safety  -circle'  driving  cuts  down  accidents 


"Know  your  safety-circle!"  is  an  important 
lesson  taught  Standard  of  California  driv- 
ers.. .  and  perhaps  it  can  be  helpful  to  you. 

Your  safety-circle  is  the  distance  you 
need  to  meet  an  emergency  situation— a 
car  stopping  suddenly  ahead,  for  example. 
Our  drivers  get  a  special  test  which  tells 
them  exactly  how  fast  they  react,  but  in 
general,  it  takes  the  average  person  a  full 
second  to  see  a  hazard,  think  what  to  do 
and  act.  So,  driving  on  a  clear  road,  at  30 
miles  an  hour,  you  should  stay  at  least  7 
car  lengths  behind  the  car  ahead;  when 
you  drive  45  miles  an  hour,  stay  behind 
13  car  lengths. 

More  than  5,000  Standard  drivers  have 
Studied  this  and  many  other  safety  princi- 


ples in  our  Driver  Training  Program, 
besides  passing  thorough  visual  examina- 
tions. Last  year,  they  drove  41  million 
miles  with  an  accident  rate  60%  lower 
than  the  national  trucking  fleet  average. 


CAL^ORNiA 


p/ons , 


to  serve  y0« 


fer 


AUGUST  1949 


527 


THE  FORT  ON  THE  FIRING  LINE 


(Continued  from  page  508) 

on  the  half-naked  desert  hills,  but 
not  in  the  thick  grass  and  flowers 
of  the  mountain,  and  the  years 
proved  that  the  Piutes  had  not 
dreamed  in  vain. 

Py  the  spring  of  1883,  Bluff  ditch 
with  its  cribs,  its  washouts, 
its  breaks,  and  its  indispensable 
cleanings  every  new  moon  from  the 
silt  spit  into  it  by  the  path  of  the 
river,  had  cost  the  people  $69.00 
an  acre  for  all  the  land  they  still 
had  left  to  cultivate.  That 
amounted  to  $48,300.00  for  their 
seven  hundred  acres.  Their  tith- 
ing for  the  previous  year  was  $760, 
about  $25.00  to  the  man.  Even 
then  it  was  not  intended  to  repre- 
sent a  tenth  of  their  gain;  part  of 
it  was  deliberately  paid  on  loss  for 
better  returns  next  year. 

In  the  spring  of  1884,  Mitchel, 
who  ran  the  trading  post  twenty- 
five  miles  up  the  river,  suddenly 
broke  off  friendly  relations  with 
the  Indians  again,  and  ordered 
soldiers  to  his  assistance.  This 
time  it  was  a  killing,  and  the  In- 
dians received  the  blame.  In  a 
quick  minute  he  touched  off  the 
Indian  situation  in  San  Juan  where 
it  was  most  desperately  inflammable, 
the  fighting  zone  where  Utah's  In- 
dian annoyances  had  all  been  con- 
centrated. The  very  first  howl  of 
the  trouble  rode  at  once  on  the 
wind  to  the  most  remote  camp.  The 
Navajos  moved  back  twenty  miles 
from  the  river  to  their  mountains, 
but  the  Piutes  registered  their  re- 
sponse by  killing  more  cattle,  paint- 
ing their  faces  in  hideous  colors, 
and  bellowing  their  war  chant  all 
night  in  eager  relish  of  the  prospect. 

Although  Indian  wars  had  be- 
come a  thing  of  the  past  in  all  the 
rest  of  Utah,  San  Juan  was  still 
the  delicate  safety  valve  where,  if 
the  pressure  became  too  strong,  it 
could  blow  off  without  disturbing 
people  on  the  outside.  That 
Mitchel  trading  post,  getting  hot 
and  smoking  at  every  change  of 
the  moon  was  a  source  from  which 
a  disastrous  flame  could  start  sud- 
denly and  spread  soon  to  the  far- 
away, if  not  checked  in  its  early 
stages. 

For  the  best  good  of  the  Indians, 
and  the  welfare  of  everybody  con- 
528 


cerned,  the  way  to  head  off  these 
wild  starts,  with  fairness  to  all, 
was  the  way  Hamblin  had  headed 
them  off,  and  brought  them,  by 
good  will  and  kindness,  to  his 
way  of  thinking.  There  was  al- 
ways the  Indian's  side  to  the 
trouble,  a  side  which  no  fair  mind 
could  ignore.  The  diligence  with 
which  Hamblin  always  took  that 
side  into  careful  account  was  the 
main  source  of  his  power  of  per- 
suasion. 

All  the  same,  how  was  Bluff  with 
its  wretched  ditch  in  the  sand,  its 
pony-teams,  its  tribulation  with  a 
complete  circle  of  enemies,  and  its 
accumulation  of  poverty,  ever  to 
soothe  the  wild  native  passion  when 
once  it  became  inflamed?  The 
colony  was  distressed  and  afflicted 
with  unending  commotion.  A 
weight  of  gloom  like  dark  shadows 
hung  threateningly  over  them  in 
its  great  isolation.  The  gloom  was 
not  only  in  their  world  of  thought, 
but  black  clouds  above  them  also 
poured  out  torrents  of  rain  on  their 
mud  roofs,  and  the  water  came 
drizzling  through  on  everything  in 
their  homes.  It  rained  all  over  the 
wide  river  basin  above  them,  and 
the  river  roared  more  and  more 
angrily  over  its  bed  of  quicksand 
and  climbed  its  banks  with  startling 
rapidity. 

The  people  felt  great  anxiety  for 
those  of  their  number  who  had 
been  caught  by  the  storm  on  the 
range  or  the  freight  road,  and  they 
kept  a  close  vigil  day  and  night 
lest  the  river  should  sweep  them 
away.  Yet  the  wrath  of  the  tor- 
rent was  no  more  to  be  feared  than 
the  wrath  of  the  Indians  because 
of  the  soldiers  and  the  popular  way 
of  soldiers  with  women.  The  Piutes 
chanted  their  war  songs  from  dusk 
till  dawn  with  an  eagerness  to  see 
the  trouble  develop,  but  the  Navajos 
kept  far  back  to  the  south  of  the 
river. 

Anguish  of  dread  dragged  on  the 
heart  throbs  of  helpless  women 
and  children  in  the  mud-soaked  fort 
—anguish  smothered  to  silence  lest 
it  should  be  intensified  by  expres- 
sion; dread  of  violent  man  and  vio- 
lent elements,  painted  Indians,  des- 
perate white  men  loaded  with  guns, 
the  wicked  old  San  Juan  making 
war    on    its    banks    with    dreadful 


flotillas  of  driftwood  and  seething 
depths  of  quicksand! 

Bluff  was  pitiably  at  the  mercy  of 
a  multitude  of  enemies,  but  to  its 
stalwarts  it  was  at  the  mercy  of  God 
only. 

Necessity  of  food,  clothing,  and 
many  things  called  men  away  to 
the  range  and  the  road,  no  matter 
the  hazard;  and  families  without 
their  protectors  lived  ever  in  grave 
concern.  On  many  a  terrible  night 
the  writer's  mother  knelt  with  her 
children  and  prayed  heaven  to 
temper  the  fierce  elements  and  to 
soften  the  hearts  of  the  Indians 
towards  the  helpless  little  towns- 
people. No  prayer  was  complete 
with  these  vital  matters  omitted. 

While  the  rains  descended  and 
the  floods  came,  that  detachment 
of  soldiers  continued  near  the 
Mitchel  post,  and  the  Navajos  kept 
away  from  all  their  visible  terri- 
tory across  the  river.  Something 
ominous  hovered  over  their  empty 
dwellings  and  silent  campgrounds. 
Rumbling  echoes  drifting  back  from 
the  hills  where  they  had  gone 
sounded  not  like  fear,  but  rising 
anger.  Navajo  Jim  Joe  and  some 
of  the  wise  leaders  might  be  able 
to  discern  between  the  peaceable 
people  of  the  fort  and  the  hostile 
men  from  the  outside,  but  the  hot- 
headed masses  could  be  guided  by 
nothing  but  their  craving  for  re- 
venge. The  river  was  too  terrible 
for  them  to  cross  in  the  night,  and 
at  its  present  fury  they  would  not 
brave  its  current  in  the  daytime.  So 
the  people  watched  the  rising  flood 
and  sent  their  anxious  gaze  search- 
ing through  the  storm  for  any  sign 
of  hostilities  beyond  it.  In  the 
darkness  they  heard  above  the 
steady  purr  of  the  rain  and  the  roar 
of  the  flood,  the  strong  voice  of  a 
man,  calling — calling.  The  voice 
echoed  in  the  cliffs;  although  they 
could  not  make  out  the  words,  it 
alarmed  them,  for  it  seemed  to  come 
from  the  other  side  of  the  stream. 
They  approached  through  storm  and 
the  night  as  near  as  they  could  and 
shouted  asking  who  spoke,  and 
what  was  wanted.  At  length  by 
supreme  effort  the  voice  made  its 
message  clear:  it  was  Jim  Joe;  he 
had  come  back  through  the  dark- 
ness from  distant  camps  to  tell 
[Continued  on  page  530) 
THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


Books  of  Remembrance 


T 


he     great     Patriarch     Abraham 
wrote : 


Dh    IDauld  IK.    /Sooerfe 


But  the  records  of  the  fathers,  even  the 
patriarchs,  .  .  .  have  I  kept  even  unto  this 
day,  and  I  shall  endeavor  to  write  some 
of  these  things  upon  this  record,  for  the 
benefit  of  my  posterity  that  shall  come 
after  me.    (Abraham  1:31.) 

Some    four    hundred   years    later 

Moses  wrote: 

And  a  book  of  remembrance  was  kept, 
in  the  which  was  recorded,  in  the  language 
of  Adam,  for  it  was  given  unto  as  many 
as  called  upon  God  to  write  by  the  spirit 
of  inspiration.     (Moses  6:5.) 

Then  Moses  quotes  Enoch  the 
seventh  great  patriarch  from  Adam 
who  said: 

For  a  book  of  remembrance  we  have 
written  among  us,  according  to  the  pat- 
tern given  by  the  finger  of  God;  and  it  is 
given  in  our  own  language.  (Ibid.,  6:46.) 
...  a  language  which  was  pure  and  un- 
dented.   (Ibid.,  6:6.) 

Pursuant  to  the  teachings  of  this 
scripture,  the  descendants  of  Hugh 
and  Mary  Owens  Roberts  of  Den- 
bighshire, Wales,  proceeded  to  gath- 
er, tabulate,  and  arrange,  in  an  or- 
derly way,  all  of  the  information  of 
every  kind  and  from  every  source 
that  it  could  be  secured  concerning 
that  noble  pioneer  couple,  their  an- 
cestry, and  their  descendants.  The 
work  of  gathering  this  information 
began  in  the  early  1920's  and  con- 
tinued until  the  autumn  of  1928 
when  it  was  published  in  a  loose- 
leaf  book  containing  420  pages. 
( Since  that  time  there  have  been 
150  pages  added  to  it.)  It  has  been 
divided  into  sections,  including  the 
early  history  of  the  family  and  sur- 
roundings in  Wales,  the  home,  ac- 
cepting the  gospel,  persecution, 
Hugh  Roberts,  president  of  Eglwys 
Bach  Branch  of  the  Church,  migra- 
tion to'  Zion  with  its  attendant 
events,  settling  in  the  valleys  of  the 
mountains.  Next  is  the  genealogical 
section  which  tabulates  on  the  then 
approved  forms,  the  families,  with 
three  family  groups  to  the  page. 
This  form  determined  the  shape  of 
the  book. 

The  book  is  made  up  of  many  in- 
teresting subjects;  there  are  biog- 
raphy,   history,    records    of    births, 

AUGUST  1949,,.  :M 


NOTE 

David  R.  Roberts  died  on  November 
24,  1948,  shortly  after  this  article  had 
been  accepted  for  publication  by  The 
Improvement  Era. 


baptisms,  confirmations,  ordinations, 
missions,  church,  civic,  school,  and 
business  activities,  moves,  migra- 
tions, faith-promoting  stories — all  of 
interest  that  could  be  secured — a 
resume  of  human  life. 

In  October  1928,  a  copy  of  this 
book  was  placed  in  the  library  of 
the  Genealogical  Society  of  the 
Church. 

Tn  1 939,  Bishop  Joseph  Christenson 
said: 

The  Hugh  Roberts  record  was,  in  my 
opinion,  an  inspiration  for  the  Book  of 
Remembrance  in  the  Church  and  has  helped 
to  formulate  something  that  will  live  for- 
ever in  the  hearts  of  good  people  every- 
where. 

Brother  Archibald  F.  Bennett 
said: 

When  we  were  looking  for  ideas  which 
could  be  used  with  impressive  effect  in  the 
Book  of  Remembrance,  then  [1930]  being 
introduced  in  connection  with  junior  genea- 
logical work,  we  found  the  Hugh  Roberts 
family  record  very  helpful. 

During  the  1930s  some  of  the 
descendants  of  David  and  Catherine 
Roberts  of  Meirionethshire,  Wales, 
gathered  all  the  information  they 
could  from  every  source  possible, 
including  the  records  of  the  Church 
Historian's  Office  in  Salt  Lake  City, 
Utah,  and  compiled  and  arranged 
it  in  a  Book  of  Remembrance  con- 
taining 256  pages  which  was  pub- 
lished in  1940  in  loose-leaf  form  and 
to  which  six  pages  have  since  been 
added. 

Tn  December  1946,  there  was  pre- 
pared a  "Lesson  Outline,"  or 
course  of  study  of  the  general  sub- 
ject matter  of  this  David  Roberts 
book  for  use  in  family  home  evening 
programs,  during  the  Pioneer  Cen- 


tennial year  and — or  at  any  time 
thereafter.  The  story  of  the  pioneers 
of  the  family  is  tied  into  the  fulfil- 
ment of  the  prophecies  of  the  an- 
cient prophets.  By  reading  the 
story  of  their  conversion  to  the  gos- 
pel, and  of  their  coming  over  the  sea 
and  land  to  Zion  as  they  did,  then 
reading  the  prophecies,  one  would 
be  inclined  to  think  that  the  proph- 
ets saw,  in  vision,  their  peculiar 
situations  and  recorded  them.  To 
say  the  least,  it  is  strikingly  coin- 
cident. It  is  faith-promoting.  The 
outline  closes  with  a  long  lesson  on 
gospel  subjects. 

If  those  books  had  not  been  com- 
piled when  they  were,  much  valu- 
able material  would  have  been  lost. 
As  it  is,  very  many  precious  things 
have  been  lost  because  this  gather- 
ing of  material  was  not  commenced 
fifty  years  ago.  The  peculiar  gather- 
ing of  Israel  in  the  last  days  was  to 
be  and  is  one  of  the  greatest  events 
in  world  history.  In  justice  to  our- 
selves and  our  posterity  we  should 
know  all  there  is  to  know  about  the 
participation  of  our  own  pioneer  an- 
cestors in  connection  with  it. 

There  is  now  preserved,  in  those 
books,  information  of  priceless  value 
to  posterity.  What  a  pity  it  is  that 
more  information  has  not  been  pre- 
served of  the  lives  of  our  noble  pio- 
neer ancestors.  They  deserve  it  and 
posterity  is  entitled  to  know  of  it. 
To  accomplish  it  takes  time  and 
money,  but  it  is  worth  it.  What  a 
wonderful  sense  of  real  joy  and  su- 
preme satisfaction  there  is  in  the 
realization  that  one  has  done  his 
duty  in  this  regard  as  best  he  could 
amidst  a  lot  of  most  trying  and  dif- 
ficult circumstances. 

We  should  honor  our  pioneer  an- 
cestors with  the  stories  of  their 
splendid  lives  and  achievements.  In 
the  responsibilities  placed  upon  us 
relating  to  our  ancestry,  the  Lord 
has  commanded  "diligence."  That 
is  necessary.  Nothing  can  be  ac- 
complished through  halfheartedness 
or  indifference.  If  we  neglect  this 
duty  after  being  admonished  to  do 
it,  what  will  be  our  answer?  Let 
us  "work  while  it  is  day:  the  night 
(of  death)  cometh,  when  no  man 
can  work."  We  must  do  it  today, 
"for  there  is  no  tomorrow." 

529 


COOKING 

that's  COOL 

Of  Course 
It's- 

ElECTRIC! 


Utah  Power  & 
Light  Co. 


PROFITABLE  DAYS 
AHEAD  FOR 

QUISH 

GRADUATES 

'  Capitalize  on  QUISH 
training  now!  You'll  be  a 
competent  beautician  when 
graduated.  QUISH  pro- 
vides you  with  technical 
skill  and  knowledge  gained 
in  25  years.  SEND  FOR. 
FREE    CATALOG    TODAY!' 


SCHOOL  OF 
BEAUTY  CULTURE 

331    SOUTH    MAIN 


530 


THE  FORI  ON  THE  FIRING  LINE 


(Continued  from  page  528) 

the  people  of  his  friend,  Kumen 
Jones,  that  they  need  have  no  fear 
of  the  Navajos,  but  to  keep  away 
from  the  fighting  men  so  they 
would  not  be  mistaken  for  them. 

What  a  relief!  The  heathenish 
chant  and  the  wild  yells  of  the 
Piutes  echoed  still  in  the  cliffs 
around  Bluff  into  the  late  hours  of 
night  or  early  morning,  but  the 
Mormons  had  learned  to  count  on 
a  certain  immunity  from  their 
wrath.  This  northern  tribe  had 
among  them  certain  brave  souls 
like  Henry  who  had  already  re- 
strained them  in  a  wild  moment,  and 
they  were  more  susceptible  to  his 
gentle  suasion  than  their  war  songs 
would  suggest.  They  contented 
themselves  in  killing  more  cattle, 
stealing  more  horses,  and  making 
themselves  chesty  and  offensive  by 
looks  and  words. 

The  cowmen,  the  soldiers,  the 
fugitives  skulking  in  the  hills,  fig- 
ured it  risky  business  to  venture 
beyond  protecting  walls  without 
ample  guards,  yet  they  all  con- 
sidered the  people  of  Bluff"  to  be 
in  no  danger  at  all. 

I/umen  Jones  and  his  wife,  re- 
turning from  attending  confer- 
ence in  Salt  Lake  City,  heard  in 
the  north  end  of  the  county  that 
there  was  serious  Indian  trouble. 
At  Blue  Mountain  they  met  the  big 
English  cattle  baron,  Harold  Car- 
lisle, and  asked,  "Is  there  any 
danger  from  the  Indians?" 

"Not  fo'  yo'  so't,"  drawled  the 
old  man. 

It  was  a  most  remarkable  state 
of  affairs,  this  collection  of  Utah's 
thirty-year-old  Indian  annoyances 
all  tucked  away  into  the  remote 
southeast  corner  of  the  territory, 
for  the  vital  issue  to  be  fought  out 
there  to  a  finish  by  a  handful  of 
poverty-stricken  toilers  wading 
through  deep  tribulation  and  sink- 
ing often  to  the  brink  of  despair. 
The  storm  center  of  the  whole 
territory  was  the  solitary  fort  in 
San  Juan,  obscured  by  magnificent 
distances  from  every  other  civilized 
community,  and  the  only  one  of 
its  kind  still  surviving  in  the  west. 
To  the  obscure,  yet  indispensable 
guardians  of  this  pivotal  point,  it 
was  a  matter  of  wonder  that  they 


should  enjoy  favors  and  immunities 
seemingly  in  excess  of  their  im- 
portance. 

Besides  the  killings  in  the  reserva- 
tion and  along  the  river,  besides 
the  murders  at  Piute  Spring  and  at 
LaSal,  there  was  at  least  one  secret 
murder  of  a  white  man  in  Wooden 
Shoe  Breaks,  and  the  end  was  not 
yet,  with  more  murders  ahead.  Jim 
Joe's  promise  of  safety  to  the  peo- 
ple of  Bluff  if  they  would  stay  near 
home,  meant  no  cooling-off  of  the 
war  spirit  on  the  reservation.  Aflame 
with  indignation,  Jim  Joe  came  to 
confer  with  his  friend,  Kumen  Jones. 

"They  have  insulted  us  as  a  peo- 
ple by  their  treatment  of  some  of 
our  women,"  Jim  declared,  mean- 
ing the  soldiers  from  nearby  Mit- 
chel's  store.  "We  can't  stand  it. 
If  we  are  men  and  not  children,  then 
we  must  fight." 

Kumen  Jones  threw  his  arms 
around  Jim  Joe  and  regarded  him 
with  sympathetic  eyes,  "You  can't 
do  it,  Jim,"  he  declared,  "You  must 
not  think  of  doing  it.  You  will  be 
as  a  weak  child  in  the  hands  of  a 
powerful  man.  It  would  be  the 
greatest  mistake  you  could  make." 

"But  our  women!  Our  girls!" 
and  Jim's  light  brown  eyes  blazed 
fiercely  with  his  gesture  of  hot 
resentment. 

"I  know  it,  Jim!"  and  Kumen 
Jones  looked  his  keen  understanding 
through  sympathetic  tears,  "It's  too 
awful,  but  you  go  back  and  tell 
your  people  not  to  think  of  such  a 
thing  as  trying  to  fight  the  United 
States.  That  would  be  the  end  of 
them.  Tell  their  old  men  to  tell 
them  about  Bosque  Redondo,  and 
that  to  fight  again  would  be  worse 
than  that." 

Jim  shook  his  head  bitterly;  it  cut 
deeply  into  his  great  sense  of  jus- 
tice to  pass  such  base  insults  with- 
out registering  any  of  the  indigna- 
tion he  felt.  Yet  he  could  not  doubt 
the  word  of  his  friend,  and  spring- 
ing to  the  back  of  his  mustang,  he 
rode  away  to  quiet  the  cry  for 
revenge. 

Tn  that  spring  of  1884,  the  uncom- 
monly heavy  rains  swelled  the  old 
San  Juan  till  it  reached  the  top  of 
its  banks,  and  still  it  rose.  It  reach- 
ed out  with  great  arms  across  wide 
bottoms    where,    judging    from    the 

THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


size  of  the  giant-cottonwoods,  it 
had  not  run  for  at  least  a  century. 
It  ripped  into  sandhills  where  no 
one  imagined  it  could  possibly  go. 
It  swept  away  the  houses  of  the 
people  still  remaining  at  Monte- 
zuma, and  it  whittled  that  Bluff 
ditch  into  a  hopeless  wilderness  of 
mud  and  gullies.  It  buried  the 
fields  half-way  up  the  fences  under 
a  blanket  of  sand  and  clay,  and  it 
stood  two  feet  deep  in  some  of  the 
homes  of  the  town. 

No  ditch  for  that  season — no 
crop!  The  "white  trash"  among  the 
hills  became  more  daring,  and  the 
Piutes,  to  say  the  least,  were  no 
better  than  at  the  first.  Neither  had 
any  permanent  improvement  be- 
come noticeable  among  the  Navajos 
as  a  people.  Surely  the  mission 
had  failed;  it  had  butted  against 
the  impossible;  the  Mormon  leaders 
had  underestimated  the  difficulty 
of  the  work  they  had  assigned. 

The  people  of  the  mission  were 
reluctant  to  report  again  to  the 
Church  leaders  that  the  task  was  too 
hard,  but  they  were  distressed,  af- 
flicted, at  the  end  of  their  resources. 
They  reported  the  condition  of  af- 
fairs as  they  stood,  and  devoted 
themselves  to  saving  what  they 
could  from  the  wreck  while  they 
awaited  the  expected  permission  to 
look  for  places  to  make  peaceful 
homes  beyond  this  disordered 
borderland.  They  believed  that 
they  could  find  in  any  direction  a 
country  better  adapted  to  human 
habitation  than  this  sand-bed  in  the 
midst  of  ten  thousand  thieves. 

Joseph  F.  Smith  and  Erastus 
Snow  of  the  General  Authorities 
made  the  long  trip  from  Salt  Lake 
City  to  inspect  again  the  important 
outpost.  They  gazed  with  amaze- 
ment at  the  havoc  of  the  flood.  They 
heard  about  thieves,  desperadoes, 
remoteness  of  isolation  with  no 
roads  on  which  to  get  out;  they 
heard  of  the  festering  elements  al- 
ways ready  to  explode  on  short 
notice  at  this  unsheltered  end  of 
the  trail. 

They  showed  their  sympathetic 
comprehension  of  all  these  things; 
yet  when  they  spoke  to  the  people 
assembled  in  the  old  log  meeting- 
house, they  said  in  substance.  "We 
love  you  for  the  heroic  part  you 
have  taken;  you  have  made  a  won- 
derful beginning  towards  a  most 
important  work;  and  if  it  is  now 
(Continued  on  page  532) 
AUGUST  1949 


STRENGTH 

to*  success 

These  days  a  young  person 
wants  to  learn  how  to 

1.  earn  a  good  living 

2.  help  make   a   fine 
home 

3.  share  in  building  a 
better  world 


At  Utah  State,  the  student  finds  training  that  contributes  to 
success  in  hundreds  of  occupations.  Also  liberal  education  is 
provided  to  help  a  young  person  develop  to  the  utmost  mentally 
and  spiritually,  to  help  him  become  a  better  parent,  citizen,  and 
leader. 

Advantages   include 

•  libraries  totaling  140,000  books 

•  laboratories  with  excellent  equipment 
(electron  microscope,  spectrograph,   etc.) 

•  more   than   500   teachers    and   scientists   to   aid   the 
student   in  learning  to   earn   and   to   lead. 

Schools  of  Agriculture;  Arts  and  Sciences;  Commerce;  Edu- 
cation; Engineering  and  Technology;  Forestry,  Range,  and 
Wildlife  Management;  and  Home  Economics. 

Fall  Quarter  Registration:  Sept.  22,  23,  24 

For  catalog  and  other  information,  address 
The  President 

Utah  State  Agricultural  College 

LOGAN 


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531 


Once  you  use 

BerNARdin 

fame  &**&€#  CAPS  &  LIDS 

L—  you'll  never  change  —J 

From  the  moment  you  open  the  package 
you  can  see  and  feel  the  advantages — in 
the  metal, — in  the  packing  (no  sticking 
together)  in  the  resilient  built-in  ring. 
And  the  first  batch  of  canning  you  "put 
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For  all  these  plus  additional  features  at 
no  extra  cost— just  get  Bernardin  home 
canning  caps  and  lids  at  your  store. 


IN  USE  for  OVER  FIFTY  YEARS 

Aids  in  treatment  of  Canker,  simple 
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and  throat  irritations. 

HALLS  REMEDY 

Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 


WE    OFFER  .  .  . 

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ENGRAVING  SERVICE 

From    Missionary    Portraits    to    the    Largest 
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THE  FORI  ON  THE  MING  LINE 


{Continued  front  page  531) 

more  than  you  can  endure,  we  re- 
lease you  with  our  blessings  to 
go,  but  we  cannot  give  up  this  es- 
sential post.  Those  who  go  will 
be  blessed,  but  those  who  stay  will 
be  doubly  blessed." 

The  unexpected  assurance  and 
positive  promise  in  that  last  sen- 
tence, as  the  people  listened,  fell 
soothingly  on  the  sting  of  their 
disappointment.  Somehow  it  was 
the  main  thing  they  heard. 

The  General  Authorities  promised 
the  people  that  if  they  would  stay, 
they     would     become     prosperous; 


their  fortunes  would  change  for  the 
better;  and  in  due  time  they  would 
accomplish  all  the  major  labors  for 
which  they  had  been  called.  To 
Bishop  Nielson,  then  in  poverty 
with  the  rest  of  his  people,  they 
promised  plenty  of  means  if  he 
would  stay  at  his  post  without  com- 
promise. Feeling  repentant  for 
having  faltered,  and  accepting  the 
assurance  of  final  success,  the  men 
of  the  fort  agreed  to  stay  and  tried 
to  imagine  themselves  going  to  be 
successful   over  all  their  ugly  ad- 


versaries. 


( To  be  continued) 


MISSION  10  POLYNESIA 


(Continued  from  page  505) 
but  each  wrapped  in  leaves  what 
was  left  and  took  it  home.  Addison 
found  that  he  had  enough  left  over 
to  keep  him  and  the  family  he  was 
living  with  for  a  full  week. 

After  dinner  the  people  reassem- 
bled at  the  meetinghouse.  Follow- 
ing song  and  prayer,  one  of  the  two 
native  kings  on  the  island,  Pihatila, 
arose  to  address  the  gathering. 

"The  purpose  of  these  annual 
meetings,"  he  said,  "has  always 
been  to  collect  taxes  for  the  mission- 
ary society.  That  society  has  prom- 
ised to  send  us  a  white  missionary, 
but  although  we  have  paid  this  tax 
annually  for  more  than  twenty 
years,  sometimes  giving  as  much  as 
four  tons  of  arrow  root  a  year,  they 
have  never  done  so." 

Moreover,  he  stated,  they  had 
learned  that  the  money  gained  from 
the  sale  of  the  produce  which  the 
missionaries  said  was  being  sent 
back  to  their  native  land  for  general 
support  of  the  society,  was  being 
kept  by  the  missionaries  for  their 
own  use.  But  this  missionary  (Ad- 
dison), he  pointed  out,  had  come 
with  no  advance  pay  and  had  lived 
with  them  a  year;  his  teachings  and 
example  agreed,  and  he  always 
taught  them  from  the  Bible. 

Tamatoa,  the  island's  other  king, 
then  arose  and  bore  testimony  that 
what  King  Pihatila  had  said  was 
true,  and  a  number  of  chiefs  all  bore 
witness  to  the  same.  King  Pihatila 
addressed  the  group  again,  making 
a  motion  that  all  fellowship  be  with- 
drawn from  the  society,  that  Paraita 


532 


be  invited  to  stay  with  them  as  a 
permanent  teacher,  that  they  build  a 
home  for  him,  and  that  they  invite 
him  to  send  to  America  for  his  wife 
and  children. 

The  motion  was    seconded   and 
carried  by  unanimous  vote. 

Tf  only  he  would  receive  some  sup- 
1  port  from  his  friends  at  home, 
even  if  that  support  were  only  a 
letter!  Had  he  been  forgotten? 
Wasn't  anyone  in  America  inter- 
ested in  his  welfare?  These  ques- 
tions came  afresh  to  his  mind  each 
time  missionaries  from  other  denom- 
inations arrived  on  the  island.  They 
were  well-dressed,  had  ample 
money  for  travel  and  food  and  sup- 
plies, and  even  had  their  own 
schooners.  On  one  occasion  the 
bark  John  Williams  of  London  came 
to  the  island  with  two  missionaries 
on  board.  The  ship  had  been  named 
for  an  early-day  missionary  who 
had  been  killed  and  eaten  by  the 
natives  of  the  Fiji  Islands.  The 
missionaries,  a  Mr.  Piatt,  an  Eng- 
lishman, and  a  Mr.  Crowzey,  a 
German,  called  on  Addison.  After 
a  long  conversation  Mr.  Piatt  left, 
and  Addison  and  Mr.  Crowzey  con- 
tinued to  talk,  discussing  Addison's 
beliefs  and  his  work  on  the  island. 
Addison  told  of  the  success  he  had 
had,  of  the  healings  that  had  been 
performed  through  him,  and  of  the 
baptisms.  The  missionary  became 
friendly,  stating  that  the  conversion, 
and  baptizing  of  the  white  men  on 
the  island  was  a  remarkable  thing, 
an    uncommon    occurrence,    a    feat 

THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA. 


probably  never  duplicated  on  any 
island  in  the  Pacific.  During  the 
conversation,  the  missionary  looked 
down  at  Addison's  feet  and  saw  his 
toes  sticking  from  the  holes  in  his 
shoes,  noticed  that  all  his  clothes 
were  worn,  and  that  he  had  no  floor 
in  his  house.  So  he  inquired  about 
Addison's  circumstances. 

"And  does  your  society  render 
you  no  assistance?"  he  asked. 

"No,"  was  Addison's  simple  re- 
ply. 

Writing  about  the  event  in  his 
diary  that  night,  Addison  recorded 
that  he: 

.  .  .  was  ashamed  to  tell  him  that 
they  had  neglected  to  send  me  even  a 
word  of  consolation  when  there  had 
been  no  less  than  a  half  a  dozen  ships 
here,  direct  from  where  I  sailed,  where 
there  is  a  branch  of  the  Church  of  near 
150  members,  who  had  promised  with 
all  faithfulness  to  write  us  at  every 
opportunity,  and  not  only  them,  but 
every  friend  in  America,  had  shown 
us  the  same  neglect,  for  we  have  not 
received  any  word  from  any  of  them 
since  we  left  there,  which  is  now  two 
long  years,  and  I  think  Brother  Hanks 
{who  died  and  was  buried  at  sea)  has 
made  a  happy  escape  from  this  morti- 
fication, and  were  I  not  looking  to  a 
higher  source  than  the  hand  of  treach- 
erous man,  for  the  reward  of  my 
labors,  crosses  and  privations,  I  should 
have  long  ago  died  in  the  slough  of 
despondency. 

A  fter  the  missionaries  returned  to 
the  ship,  one  of  the  women  pas- 
sengers on  board  asked,  "What  is 
the  prospect  of  those  missionaries?" 

"Oh,  very  poor,"  Mr.  Piatt  an- 
swered. "There  is  but  one  other, 
and  one  has  gone  home." 

"But,"  Mr.  Crowzey  reminded 
him,  "there  is  one  on  the  Chain 
Islands  yet." 

"Yes,  but  no  men  can  sustain  a 
field  of  labor  under  such  circum- 
stances," Mr.  Piatt  predicted,  "and 
they  will  soon  leave,  and  their  field 
will  be  left  to  us." 

After  hearing  a  report  of  the  con- 
versation, Addison  wrote  in  his 
diary: 

But  I  can  tell  Mr.  Piatt  that  there 
are  some  Pauls  among  the  latter,  as 
well  as  among  the  former-day  Saints, 
who  are  willing  to  administer  to  their 
own  necessities,  when  sustenance 
comes  from  no  other  source,  and  will 
maintain  the  contest,  and  will  surren- 
(Continued  on  page  534) 
AUGUST  1949 


PLEASE  DRIVE 
CAREFULLY... 
The  Life  You  Save 
May  Be  Your  Own! 


There's  nothing  like  this  "Travel  Hints"  booklet. 
It's  new.  .  .  and  the  most  complete  volume  yet  pub- 
lished on  the  attractions  of  the  intermountain  area. 
Be  sure  to  get  your  copy  early  as  the  supply  is  limited. 

Before  you  take  your  trip,  drive  in  to  your  neigh- 
borhood UTOCO  dealer  for  complete  car  servicing. 


SEE  YOUR 


UTAH      OIL      REFINING      COMPANY 


Four  Minutes  Ago 


/ 


A  HOME  BURNED  DOWN  .' 

Every  four  minutes  a  home  is  ravaged  by  fire.  It  could  be  your 
home.  Have  you  increased  your  fire  insurance  to  take  care  of 
today's  high  values? 

See  our  Agent  in  your  town.     He  will  be  glad  to  help  you. 

UTAH  HOME  FIRE  INSURANCE  CO. 

HEBER  J.  GRANT  &  CO.,  General  Agent  Salt  Lake  City 


533 


Mission  To  Polynesia 

(Continued  from  page  533) 

der  the  field  only  with  their  lives,  the 
Lord  giving  them  strength. 

How  had  he  lived  these  long 
months?  The  natives  had  provided 
him  with  most  of  his  food.  This  he 
had  supplemented  through  his  own 
efforts  by  the  use  of  his  gun. 

The  Lord  had  also  provided 
clothing    and    other    necessities    as 


they  were  needed.  When  Addison 
left  the  Timoleon,  one  of  the  pas- 
sengers had  given  him  a  bundle  con- 
taining "a  generous  piece  of  cotton 
cloth  for  patches,  a  pair  of  scissors, 
a  large  spool  of  cotton  thread,  skeins 
of  different  colored  flax  thread,  and 
other  useful  articles."  One  ship 
captain  presented  him  with  a  large 
Bible,  a  peck  of  rice,  a  ball  of  lamp- 
wick,  and  a  canister  of  gunpowder. 
Later,  his  friend,  Captain  Sajot,  con- 
tributed a  pair  of  heavy  shoes,  six- 


SAVE  **JQ%  c 

ON  YOUR  FOOD  81 U.  mFwr  /V     D 

WITH  THE  NEW  10.3  Cu.  ft.       ° 

COOLERATOR     | 

A 

T 
D 
R 

F 
R 

E 
E 
Z 
E 
R 

D 

a 

E 
S 
N 
'T 

C 

a 

s 

T 

■ 
■ 
■ 

I 

T 

P 
A 
Y 

5 


Buy  in  quantity  when  prices  are  low. 

Eat    "garden-fresh"    meals    from  your 
Coolerator  the  year  'round. 

Preserve   more — safer — in   line  with  the 
Church  conservation  program. 

See    your    local    Coolerator    dealer — 
or  write 

GLENN  EARL,  INC.,  245  South  1st  West 
Salt   Lake  City 


534 


teen  yards  of  bleached  shirting,  and 
seven  yards  of  calico  to  his  ward- 
robe; and  from  Captain  Joy  he  ob- 
tained four  gallons  of  blackfish  oil  in 
exchange  for  two  small  hogs.  Cap- 
tain Johnson  sent  him  a  twenty- 
pound  bag  of  white  flour  (the  first 
flour  or  meal  of  any  kind  Addison 
had  had  since  being  on  the  island 
and  which  he  used  for  making  bread 
for  the  sacrament).  Even  Mr. 
Crowzey,  the  German  missionary, 
gave  him  a  calico  shirt. 

Then  there  was  Mr.  Caine,  who 
came  from  Sidney  with  a  stock  of 
goods  for  keeping  a  tavern  on  Tahi- 
ti. He  invited  Addison  to  come  to 
see  him,  and  after  dinner  Addison 
was  about  to  take  his  leave  when 
Mr.  Caine  asked  him  if  there  were 
anything  he  needed. 

"No,  thank  you,"  Addison  said; 
"I  am  very  comfortably  situated  at 
present." 

"Ah,  I  think  you  are  just  delicate 
about  making  your  wants  known," 
Mr.  Caine  replied.  "Come  and  look 
in  here,"  he  added  as  he  unlocked 
a  large  chest  of  new  clothing,  "and 
if  you  see  anything  you  need,  take 
it. 

Seeing  some  cotton  socks  Addi- 
son said,  "I  will  accept  a  pair  of 
those  if  it  will  not  discommode  you." 

"To  be  sure,  sir,"  he  said  in  a 
good-humored  brogue  and  threw 
out  five  pairs  of  various  colors.  Then 
looking  Addison  over,  he  continued, 
"I  think  your  summer  coat  is  rather 
tight.  Perhaps  I  have  one  that 
would  suit  you  better."  Then  he 
selected  a  coat,  and  also  a  fine  linen 
shirt. 

"Now,"  he  said,  "is  there  any 
other  necessity?" 

Addison  told  him  that  he  was  not 
especially  fond  of  poi  without  a  little 
sugar  or  molasses  with  it. 

"I  have  plenty,  and  it's  at  your 
service,"  Mr.  Caine  said,  bringing 
forward  a  calabash  which  contained 
about  four  gallons  of  molasses. 
"And  when  this  is  empty,  come  back 
and  get  more." 

Things  weren't  so  bad  with  him 
after  all.  In  his  journal  he  wrote. 
"When  I  take  a  retrospective  view 
of  the  Lord's  dealing  with  me  .  .  .  , 
I  can  say  of  a  truth,  he  has  been 
unto  me  more  than  I  could  have 
asked." 

(  To  be  continued ) 

THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


IN  THE  GOOD  OLD  SUMMERTIME 


(Continued  from  page  500) 

August  17.  Now  take  a  turn  at 
that  sewing  machine.  Try  out  all  of 
those  little  attachments.  Learn 
about  tension  and  needle  numbers. 
Get  advice  on  patterns.  Plan  your 
wardrobe,  and  ask  help  from  the 
best  sewer,  the  kindest  neighbor, 
and  the  most  generous  person  you 
know.  You  needn't  look  longingly 
at  the  store  models  if  you  learn  the 
art  early. 

August  18.  Methinks  this  is  your 
grandmother's  wedding  anniversary 
(also  your  grandfather's).  What- 
ever made  them  get  married  in  Au- 
gust instead  of  June  or  September 
or  December — in  one  of  the  popular 
wedding  months?  Better  go  ask 
them.  They  may  not  remember,  but 
they'll  love  having  you  interested. 
And  find  them  a  little  gift  to  go  with 
a'  merry  note.  They  won't  be  with 
you  forever,  and  after  all  you  do 
love  them. 

August  19.  Over  half  the  month 
gone,  and  you  haven't  arranged  that 
family  reunion  yet!  I  mean  the  one 
that  includes  all  the  cousins  once  re- 
moved and  the  great-aunts — all  the 
young  and  old  honest-to-goodness 
blood  relatives.  My  guess  is  that 
there  are  some  you  wouldn't  even 
recognize  if  you  met  them  on  the 
village  green.  It's  been  years  and 
years  since  you  let  the  old  cat  die 
as  you  swung  with  cousin  Joan. 
This  reunion  is  a  time  for  mumblety- 
peg,  kick-the-can,  run-sheep-run.  If 
you're  not  too  strenuous,  Uncle 
Billy  may  join  in. 

August  20.  How  many  boxes  of 
stuff  do  you  have  on  your  closet 
shelves?  Old  dance  programs  and 
stray  snapshots  and  stamp  collec- 
tions —  not  counting  the  dried-up 
corsage  that  hangs  from  a  ribbon 
over  your  dresser  mirror?  Maybe 
you  aren't  the  sentimental  type,  but 
nearly  everyone  collects  a  few 
things.  Even  you  G.I.'s  have  a 
memento  or  two  that  would  look  a 
lot  better  in  files,  scrapbooks,  or 
cabinets.  This  is  a  good  day  to  get 
them  out,  view  them  with  alarm  or 
laughter,  and  do  something  about 
them.  Either  make  a  good  bonfire 
or  set  up  your  treasures  neatly  for 
inspection. 

August  21.  A  letter- writing  day 
if  I  ever  recognized  one!  If  you  have 
been  prompt  and  valiant  in  this 
task,   you  will  find  an   hour  or   so 

AUGUST  1949 


long  enough,  but  if  you  have  col- 
lected fifty  unanswered  missives, 
you  can  maybe  get  a  good  start  on 
your  assignment.  Begin  right  after 
Sunday  School  —  at  least  after 
you've  had  dinner  and  called  your 
grandparents.  Take  time  to  visit  in 
your  letter.  Picture  your  friend,  re- 
member him  as  you  last  saw  him, 
recall  his  little  quirks — the  things 
you  liked  best,  and  then  talk  as  one 
friend  to  another.  It  will  be  a  good 
letter,  I  can  predict  that. 


August  22.  Shift  your  habits. a 
little.  If  you're  an  out-of-doors  fan, 
spend  the  day  indoors.  A  change 
is  good  for  your  nerves  and  skin. 
Likewise,  if  you're  an  indoor  girl, 
get  out  under  old  sol.  Take  it  grad- 
ually. Not  everyone  is  benefited 
by  heavy  doses  of  sunshine,  so 
watch  it.  Get  up  a  glow  but  beware 
of  blisters. 

August  23.    Learn  the  names  of 

twelve  new  trees,  twelve  unknown 

(Continued  on  page  536) 


FOR  MISSIONARIES  ONLY... 
An  Exclusive  Discount  Policy 


For  the  past  several  years,  it  has  been  our  privilege  to 
furnish  Church  books  to  missionaries  in  the  field.  Needless 
to  say*  the  high  cost  of  living  has  made  it  more  and  more 
difficult  for  missionaries  to  build  the  reference  libraries  they 
should  have  and  want. 

As  our  contribution  toward  making  your  endeavors  less 
expensive  and  easier,  we  offer  a  complete  line  of  priceless 
Church  books  at  a  25%  DISCOUNT  TO  FULL-TIME  MIS- 
SIONARIES ...  a  saving  that  makes  it  possible  for  you  to 
enjoy  the  type  of  reference  library  which  will  help  your 
missionary  efforts. 

Exercise  this  discount  privilege  now  .  .  .  build  the  Church 
library  you  want  and  need. 


BRIEF!  INSPIRING! 

At  This  Same  flour 

BY  Richard  L.  Evans 


He-  -Ct^ 
that    brings    those  ^     ^^ 

sages     from    trie  prQ. 

iamous  Tabernacle^  g 

gram  bac*  to  1.  e    oreYes   ^   ^ 
enjoyment.      SerI*nspiring   .   .  .   en- 
interesting  ■   •   •  .  -tuai    comtort 
nched    ior    your    *P-itu 
and  help  eoch  day. 


BOOKCRAFT 


1186  SOUTH  MAIN 


SALT  LAKE  CITY  4,  UTAH 


535 


IN  THE  GOOD  OLD  SUMMERTIME 


(Continued  from  page  535) 
flowers,  and  twelve  unfamiliar  birds. 
Get  a  book  to  help  you  or  a  natural- 
ist friend.  Invite  a  few  other  young 
people  to  go  on  a  nature  hike  or 
to  spend  an  evening  studying  the 
heavens. 

August  24.  Get  acquainted  with 
three  new  people — a  child,  an  elder- 
ly person,  and  one  somewhere  near 
your  own  age.    Do  each  a  special 


service.  Find  out  something  he 
likes,  something  he  dislikes.  Visit 
with  each  for  at  least  half  an  hour. 

August  25.  Work  on  your  pos- 
ture. Get  a  physical  education  ex- 
pert to  show  you  how  to  line  up 
your  spine,  cure  your  ptosis,  and 
hold  up  your  head.  Practise  it  from 
now  on  out  every  day  the  rest  of 
your  life. 

August  26.   Work  on  your  finan- 


*"*   tf\ 


UNIVERSITY 
of  UTAH 


U49      It! 


COLLEGE 


«*Hn  AT  WH'UtSfTY  BOW  >"K»e 


If  you're  planning  to  go  to  college  this  fall  check  the  advantages 
of  enrolling  at  your  state   school— the  UNIVERSITY   OF  UTAH. 

A  greatly  expanded  program  and  the  finest  faculty  in  history  offer 
outstanding  educational   opportunities. 

Colleges  of  instruction  include:  Education,  Engineering,  Medicine, 
Law,  Business,  Mines,  Fine  Arts,  Pharmacy,  Nursing,  University  College 
along  with  the  Graduate  School  and  Graduate  School  of  Social  Work. 

Remember  these  dates:  Freshmen  exams,  September  19;  Frosh 
registration,  September  22;  Other  Students  register,  September  23-24. 
Class  work  opens,  September  26. 

Plan  Your  Future  AT  HOME— AT  THE  TJ/ 

For  full  information  write  Office  of  President  at 

UNIVERSITY  OF  UTAH 

Salt  Lake  City  1,  Utah 


536 


cial  budget  for  the  coming  fall  and 
winter — your  school  needs,  your 
clothing  and  entertainment  require- 
ments —  your  complete  financial 
plans.  Have  you  a  job  lined  up  for 
Saturdays  or  after  school?  Did  you 
earn  enough  this  summer  to  carry 
you  through  your  heaviest  expenses? 
Can  your  parents  help  you  with  this 
problem?  Would  they  like  to  pay 
you  for  extra  help  around  the  home 
or  farm?  Get  this  matter  worked 
out — at  least  in  part — right  now. 

August  27.  Get  ready  for  Sun- 
day but  have  a  date  with  a  friend — 
a  fun  date  but  a  strictly  night-be- 
fore-Sunday  date — one  that  you  can 
remember  with  pride  and  delight. 
Practise  looking  ahead  ten  years 
every  ten  minutes  when  you  are  on 
a  date.  It's  a  wonderful  exercise  for 
the  eyes  and  the  spirits  of  every  dat- 
ing young  man  and  woman. 

August  28.  A  good  day  to  listen 
to  music!  Hunt  up  your  favorite 
records.  Perhaps  your  capacity  for 
musical  appreciation  is  much  great- 
er than  that  of  your  parents.  Radio 
and  the  schools  have  done  much  in 
training  musical  ears.  After  Church 
get  your  friends  together  for  a  Sun- 
day sing.  How  many  hymns  do  you 
know — beyond  the  first  verse?  How 
well  can  you  harmonize?  Do  any 
of  you  play  by  ear?  It's  nice  to  find 
out  about  these  little  musical  mat- 
ters. 

August  29.  Try  today  to  do 
something  which  is  thoroughly  ex- 
hilarating. Is  it  swimming,  horse- 
back riding,  running  in  the  wind? 
Do  it. 

August  30.  Get  just  a  little  bet- 
ter acquainted  with  your  dad.  It 
might  mean  helping  him  in  the  fields 
a  little  bit  more  intensively.  It  might 
mean  staying  in  tonight  and  asking 
his  advice  on  a  few  points.  What- 
ever "the  cost,"  it's  worth  it.  You'll 
have  new  love,  new  respect,  new 
admiration,  new  anchorage  to  your 
faith. 

August  31.  Plan  September— a 
new  month — a  new  day — another 
great  opportunity  to  get  closer  to 
your  Heavenly  Father,  to  his  plan, 
his  children,  his  earth,  his  laws,  and 
his  delights. 

A  wonderful  month — August — 
the  last  month  of  "the  Good  Old 
Summertime." 

THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


(Continued  from  page  485) 
Elder  Harold  B.  Lee  of  the  Council 
of    the    Twelve    dedicated    the    East 
Fresno  Branch  chapel,  Northern  Cali- 
fornia Mission. 


27 


The  first  members  of  the  staff  of 
the  Presiding  Bishopric  opened 
their  offices  in  the  newly-remodeled 
Church  administration  building. 


O  A  President  John  L.  Clarke  of  Ricks 
"  "  College,  Rexburg,  Idaho,  an- 
nounced that  the  Church  Department 
of   Education  had   given  approval   to 


THE  CHURCH  MOVES  ON 

the  establishment  of  a  four-year  cur- 
riculum at  Ricks.  Approval  had  been 
given  a  year  ago  for  the  establishment 
of  a  three-year  curriculum  with  the 
possibility  of  the  four-year  college  for 
the  student  year  1949-50.  This  will 
enable  Ricks  College  to  train  elemen- 
tary and  secondary  school  teachers, 
who  under  the  law  in  the  state  of 
Idaho,  must  have  four-year  teaching 
certificates  by  1955. 

Plans  have  been  approved  at  Salt 
Lake  City  for  the  erection  of  a  monu- 
ment to  Brigham  Young  at  his  birth- 


place, Whitingham  Center,  Vermont. 
The  monument  is  expected  to  be  dedi- 
cated June  1,  1950,  the  149th  anniver- 
sary of  the  leader's  birth. 

JULY  1949 

0  Twelve  elders,  the  first  group  of 
**  missionaries  to  be  assigned  to 
Germany  in  a  decade,  left  Salt  Lake 
City  for  their  field  of  labor,  expected 
to  be  in  the  American  and  French  zone. 
They  will  sail  from  New  York  with 
(Conducted  on  page  538) 


Peter's  Confession 


(Concluded  from  page  498) 

out  ever  passing  it  on  to  others,  as 
has  been  already  pointed  out.  John 
the  Revelator  seems  to  have  had  the 
presiding  powers  at  the  end  of  the 
first  century,  according  to  evidence 
in  the  Book  of  Revelation. 

It  will  be  well  to  summarize  some 
of  the  main  points  made  in  this  ar- 
ticle: 

1.  The  dogma  of  St.  Peter's 
primacy  is  a  medieval  invention. 
This  dogma  was  unknown  to  the 
early  church  fathers. 

2.  There  are  many  views  as  to 
what  Jesus  meant  by  "upon  this 
rock  I  will  build  my  church."  (Mat- 
thew 16:18.)  It  is  particularly  sig- 
nificant that  St.  Jerome  and  St. 
Augustine  did  not  believe  it  was 
Peter.  The  Latter-day  Saints  be- 
lieve that  by  the  "rock"  is  meant  the 
power  of  revelation  or  seership.  A 
more  searching  analysis  of  the 
meaning  of  petra  in  the  Greek  text 
has  been  given. 

3.  The  meaning  of  "the  gates  of 
hell"  (Matthew  16:18)  has  again 
been  elucidated.  The  passage  has 
reference  to  the  powers  of  the  king- 
dom of  death. 

4.  A  partial  explanation  of  the 
"keys  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven" 
(Matthew  16:19)  and  the  loosing 
and  binding  powers  has  been  given. 

5.  The  Latter-day  Saints  know 
that  Peter,  James,  and  John  received 
the  keys  of  the  kingdom  on  the 
mount  of  transfiguration. 

6.  There  is  no  evidence  that  Peter 
or  any  of  the  Twelve  passed  on  their 
keys  to  others.  John  still  exercised 
his  powers  toward  the  end  of  the 
first  century  despite  claims  concern- 
ing so-called  "successors  of  St. 
Peter"  such  as  Linus,  Clement,  etc. 

AUGUST  1949 


Why  1910 


was  an  important  year 


for  the  West 


1910 


►  ►  ► 


►  ►  ► 


►  ►  ► 


►  ►  ► 


►  ►  ► 


was  the  year  that  a  group  of  forward-looking  California 
businessmen  established  a  small  foundry  in  Pittsburg, 
California.  The  small  foundry  expanded  rapidly  and  is  today 
the  Columbia  Steel  Company — a  U.S.  Steel  subsidiary  which 
is  playing  an  important  role  in  meeting  the  steel  needs  of 
the  West. 

Other  Pacific  Coast  members  of  the  United  States  Steel 
family  are  carrying  on  a  number  of  activities  which  are  also 
important  to  the  people  of  this  entire  region.  They  are: 
CONSOLIDATED  WESTERN  STEEL  CORPORATION,  which  fabri- 
cates structural  steel  for  industrial  and  commercial  use; 
pipe;  refinery  equipment;  pressure  vessels  and  the  like  .  .  . 
GENEVA  STEEL  COMPANY,  which  produces  plates,  structural 
mill  products,  and  pig  iron  .  .  . 

OIL  WELL  SUPPLY  COMPANY,  which  supplies  the  innumerable 
items  of  equipment  and  supplies  that  are  needed  for  drilling 
oil  and  gas — and  for  the  transportation  and  refining  of 
petroleum  .  .  . 

CYCLONE  FENCE  DIVISION  of  American  Steel  &  Wire  Com- 
pany, which  produces  fences  to  aid  and  protect  the  farmers, 
stock  raisers  and  homeowners  of  the  West. 
U.S.  STEEL  PRODUCTS  COMPANY,    which  makes   garden  tools, 
pails,  barrels  and  steel  drums. 

Helping  to  develop  this  important  region  of  the  country 
is  part  of  the  job  of  the  industrial  family  that  serves  the 
entire  nation  .  .  .  United  States  Steel. 


.UNITED    STATES    STEEL    CORPORATION. 
SUBSIDIARIES 


537 


for   Summertime's   Greatest   Pleasure 

STARLITE  GARDENS 


«  H 


DINNER-DANCING   (Nightly  except  Sunday) 

Luncheon  .Daily    •    Musical  Luncheon  Saturday   (Noon  'til  2) 

Sunday  Dinner   (6  to  10  p.m.) 

HOTEL  UTAH 


Max  Carpenter,  Manager 


■j»-^-^^»^»-?»->»-?»-»»-»^»^»^»^^»-?»-?»-?»^»^»-»-j»^»-;»  ■»?  >»  ;» -s»-3»-%»-?»>^ 


$    '- 


The  Church  Moves  on 

{Concluded  /rom  page  537) 

other  Europe-bound  missionaries  on 
the  SS  Marine  Flasher.  Soon  after  the 
end  of  hostilities,  mission  presidents 
were  sent  to  Germany,  who  have  been 
directing  local  missionaries  and  Saints. 

President  David  O.  McKay  dedi- 
cated the  Pasadena  Ward,  Pasadena 
(California)    Stake,  chapel. 

Elder  John  A.  Widtsoe  of  the  Coun- 
cil of  the  Twelve  concluded  his  Sunday 
evening  radio  series  entitled  44Josepli 
Smith — Prophet  of  God." 

\    Elder  Spencer  W.  Kimball  of 
*■    the  Council  of  the  Twelve  dedi- 
cated the  Stillwater,  Oklahoma,  recrea- 
tion hall  of  the  Church. 


Evidences  and  Reconciliations 

{Concluded  from  page  513) 
if  tied  in  with  the  spirit  and  prac- 
tice of  religion.  Standing  alone,  it 
is  cold,  lifeless,  inert,  soulless;  plac- 
ing itself  under  the  direction  of  re- 
ligion it  becomes  warm,  helpful,  in- 
spiring, a  means  of  blessing  to  the 
human  soul. 

As  science  advances  and  in- 
creases, as  new  discoveries  are 
made,  as  more  complete  command  is 
obtained  over  the  forces  of  nature, 
the  more  necessary  it  becomes  that 
we  have  a  religion  to  guide  us  in 
employing  these  discoveries.  To 
save  the  world  from  science,  and  to 
make  science  the  builder  of  a  good 
world,  we  must  hasten  our  progress 
towards  the  fuller  acceptance  of 
God.  So,  the  answer  to  the  question 
at  the  head  of  this  article  is  very 
simple.  In  an  age  of  science  we  have 
greater  need  than  ever  before  of 
religion.  A  conscience  of  science  is 
a  present  need. — /.  A.  W. 


538 


Brigham  Young  Said: 

Tf  the  Latter-day  Saints  magnify 
their  calling,  walk  humbly  before 
their  God,  do  the  things  that  are 
pleasing  to  their  Father  in  heaven, 
and  walk  up  to  their  duty  in  every 
respect,  I  am  bold  to  say  that  not  five 
years  only,  but  scores  of  years,  will 
pass  away  without  the  Saints  ever 
being  interrupted,  or  driven  again 
from  their  possessions:  thus  far  it  is 
for  our  good. — Journal  of  Dis- 
courses, i :  144  ( after  five  years  in  the 
valley ) . 

THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


[Continued  from  page  495) 
The     Savior,     speaking     on 
Mount  said: 


the 


Blessed  are  ye,  when  men  shall  revile, 
you,  and  persecute  you,  and  shall  say  all 
manner  of  evil  against  you  falsely,  for  my 
sake. 

Rejoice,  and  be  exceeding  glad:  for 
great  is  your  reward  in  heaven:  for  so 
persecuted  they  the  prophets  which  were 
before  you.  (Matt.  5:11-12.) 

When  he  was  preaching  in  Gali- 
lee, Jesus  said: 

For  what  shall  it  profit  a  man,  if  he  shall 
gain  the  whole  world,  and  lose  his  own 
soul? 

Or  what  shall  a  man  give  in  exchange  for 
his  soul? 

Whosoever  therefore  shall  be  ashamed 
of  me  and  of  my  words  in  this  adulterous 
and  sinful  generation;  of  him  also  shall  the 
Son  of  man  be  ashamed,  when  he  cometh 
in  the  glory  of  his  Father  with  the  holy 
angels.   (Mark  8:36-38.) 

'"pHE  Spirit  of  God,  the  Holy 
Ghost,  beareth  witness,  each  of 
them,  to  us  of  the  divinity  of  this 
work.  You  will  recall  that  as  Jesus 
was  resting  from  his  labors,  at 
Caesarea  Philippi,  he  there  inter- 
rogated the  Twelve  who  were  with 
him: 

.  .  .  Whom  do  men  say  that  I  the  Son 
of  man  am? 

And  they  said: 

Some  say  that  thou  art  John  the  Baptist: 
some,  Elias;  and  others,  Jeremias,  or  one 
of  the  prophets. 

The  Savior  then  asked: 
But  whom  say  ye  that  I  am? 

Peter  answered: 

.  .  .  Thou  art  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the 
living  God. 

And  Jesus  said  to  him: 

Blessed  art  thou,  Simon  Bar-jona:  for 
flesh  and  blood  hath  not  revealed  it  unto 
thee,  but  my  Father  which  is  in  heaven. 
(Matt.    16:13-17.) 

We  may  all  have  the  testimony 
of  Peter.  We  should  all  seek  for 
it.  If  the  Lord  wishes  to  add  the 
testimony  of  the  senses,  we  should 
be  grateful;  but  the  testimony  of  the 
Spirit  is  within  the  call  of  all  of  us. 
All  we  need  to  do  to  get  it,  is  to  live 

(Conclitded  on  page  540) 
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TESTIMONY 


(Concluded  from  page  539) 
for  it  and  seek  it;  and  that  testimony 
when  it  comes  will  be  in  us  a  burn- 
ing testimony,  a  testimony  that  will 
be  as  a  fire,  if  we  so  live  that  we 
keep  it.  We  should  see  to  it  that  it 
is  fed  by  righteous  works,  proper 
living.  We  should  see  to  it  that  it 
never  becomes  smothered  by  the 
ashes  of  transgression. 

To  you  young  people  I  appeal: 
Seek  a  testimony,  humbly;  live  for 
it,  and  God  will  give  it  to  you.  And 
when  you  get  it,  do  not  be  boastful, 
but  be  humble,  because  if  you 
boast,  it  may  leave  you. 

Humbly,  I  would  like  to  bear  my 
testimony,  a  testimony  born  of  the 
Spirit  which  I  try  to  nourish  and 
keep  burning — that  God  lives,  that 
he  is  our  Heavenly  Father,  that 
Jesus  Christ  was  his  Son,  the  Only 
Begotten  in  the  flesh,  that  Jesus 
Christ  is  the  Redeemer  of  the  world, 
that  he  was  born,  died,  lay  in  the 
tomb,  and  on  the  third  day  was 
raised  a  resurrected  being,  the  first 
fruits  of  the  resurrection,  redeem- 
ing us  from  the  fall. 


I  should  like  to  leave  with  you 
my  testimony  that  the  Prophet  Jo- 
seph did  have  a  vision  of  the  Father 
and  the  Son,  that  through  him  the 
gospel  was  restored,  even  in  its  ful- 
ness, subject  to  further  revelations 
as  God  may  wish  to  give,  that  the 
priesthood  was  restored,  the  same 
priesthood  that  the  Savior  held,  and 
that  he  anciently  conferred  upon  his 
Apostles  and  the  Seventy,  that  that 
priesthood  so  restored  to  the  Proph- 
et Joseph  is  with  us  today  in  the 
same  purity,  with  the  same  authority 
and  powers  and  functions  that  were 
bestowed  upon  the  Prophet  Joseph 
Smith. 

May  God  help  each  of  us  to  gain 
a  testimony  if  we  do  not  already 
possess  it.  May  he  give  us  the  abil- 
ity to  testify  to  it  and  of  it  on  proper 
occasions  and  in  the  proper  way. 
May  we  always  be  humble,  for  hum- 
ility is  necessary  to  the  full  enjoy- 
ment of  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord.  May 
he  be  with  us  during  this  meeting, 
I  humbly  pray,  leaving  you  my  testi- 
mony as  I  have  given  it,  in  the  name 
of  Jesus  Christ.    Amen. 


BLESSINGS  FOR  YOUTH 


(Continued  from  page  493) 
exception  of  a  few  trees  and  wil- 
lows  along   the   streams   that  came 
down  from  the  mountains." 

"But,"  they  have  replied  in  won- 
derment, "see  what  it  is  like  now." 

I  have  had  a  number  of  people 
who  have  traveled  the  world  over 
say:  "We  have  never  seen  such  a 
beautiful  place  to  live  in,"  and  then 
they  have  added,  "and  your  people 
seem  so  happy.  We  do  not  find 
people  growling  and  complaining  as 
we  move  around  among  you.  They 
are  happy  and  smiling." 

Then  I  have  been  able  to  say 
to  them:  "All  happiness  that  is 
worthy  of  the  name  is  the  result  of 
keeping  the  commandments  of  our 
Heavenly  Father — all  happiness." 

And  the  visitors  have  looked  at 
me  in  amazement  sometimes,  as 
if  they  hardly  knew  what  I  meant. 

When  I  realize  that  I  have  been 
taught  that  from  the  time  I  was  a 
child  in  this  great  organization  of 
M.I.A.,  taught  to  appreciate  all 
these  blessings,  and  when  I  realize 
that  today,  it  does  not  make  any 
difference  where  you  may  go  in  the 
world,  it  makes  no  difference  where 


540 


you  may  have  come  from,  today,  as 
you  go  to  and  fro  in  the  world,  all 
that  you  enjoy,  all  that  brings  hap- 
piness, has  come  to  us  from  our  Fa- 
ther in  heaven,  how  grateful  I  am. 
Not  only  did  he  create  the  earth 
that  we  live  upon,  but  he  also  pre- 
pared it  so  that  it  would  provide  the 
necessities  of  life  and  joy  and  happi- 
ness for  us  all. 

When  those  who  were  unfriendly 
to  the  Church  drove  our  people  out 
from  the  east,  first  from  some  parts 
of  Missouri  and  then  from  Nauvoo, 
Illinois,  they  turned  their  faces 
westward  to  this  wilderness;  to  a 
section  where  one  of  the  great  men  of 
our  nation  had  said  it  was  not  a  fit 
place  to  live.  Our  enemies  did  not 
know  that  it  was  not  what  we  saw 
at  that  time,  it  was  not  what  we 
knew  at  that  time,  that  was  all  that 
we  were  to  have.  Now  we  know 
that  there  is  not  a  good  thing  in  the 
world,  there  is  not  a  truth  that  en- 
riches the  lives  of  the  human  family 
that  we  may  not  enjoy  in  these 
great  mountain  valleys  and  in  these 
stakes  of  Zion  and  mission  fields 
where  the  Church  functions.  All 
that  is  worth  while  our  Heavenly 

THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


Father  has  provided  for  us.  As  I  see 
these  workers  that  are  here,  these 
Mutual  Improvement  officers  who 
give  so  much  of  their  time,  I  know 
sometimes  that  they  do  get  weary 
because  it  takes  a  lot  of  time  and  a 
lot  of  patience  to  guide  these  boys 
and  girls  along  the  pathways  that 
will  enrich  their  lives.  Do  you 
realize  that  from  the  little  handful 
of  people  who  were  here  a  hundred 
years  ago,  we  have  now  grown  to 
number  more  than  a  million  souls, 
and  that  among  thae  more  than  a 
million  membership  of  the  Church, 
approximately  one  hundred  and 
seventy-five  thousand  are  members 
of  the  organization  that  you  rep- 
resent? 

It  is  marvelous  to  know  how 
we  grow  and  develop  under  the 
influence  of  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord. 
I  feel  sure  that  nobody  could 
have  enjoyed  the  program  of  M.I. A. 
better  than  I  have,  and  I  stand  here 
now  to  thank  those  who  provided 
that  program  when  I  was  a  child, 
encouraged  me  to  participate  in  it. 
I  feel  to  bless  those  who  taught  me 
the  value  of  modesty,  of  virtue,  of 
all  righteousness.  I  hope  to  live 
eternally.  They,  who  were  my 
friends  and  teachers,  will  live  eter- 
nal life  also,  and  as  long  as  the  eter- 
nities endure  those  who  gave  their 
time  to  help  bless  me  will  have  my 
love  and  my  gratitude,  and  so  this 
morning  I  say  to  this  great  group  of 
workers  in  M.I. A.,  you  are  "laying 
up  treasures  in  heaven  where  moth 
and  rust  doth  not  corrupt  nor 
thieves  break  through  and  steal." 
(See  Matthew  6:20.)  You  are  lay- 
ing up  the  treasures  in  heaven  of 
eternal  gratitude  of  the  boys  and 
girls  that  are  under  your  watch  care, 
and  the  more  you  do  for  them,  the 
more  you  enrich  their  lives  and  pre- 
pare them  for  happiness,  the  greater 
will  be  your  joy  in  their  companion- 
ship throughout  the  ages  of  eternity. 

This  morning  I  am  happy  to  meet 
with  you  here,  grateful  to  my  breth- 
ren and  sisters  who  have  made  my 
life  so  rich,  given  me  so  many  op- 
portunities. If  I  had  time,  I  could 
name  quite  a  number  who  are  here 
this  morning.  I  am  going  to  take 
time  to  name  one  man  I  saw  last 
night. 

I  have  not  been  very  well,  but  I 
got  out  of  bed  and  dressed,  and  had 
one  of  my  family  drive  me  to  the 
home  of  George  Margetts  who  was 

(Concluded  on  page  542) 
AUGUST  1949 


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BLESSINGS  FOR  YOUTH 


[Concluded  from  page  541) 
ninety  years  old  yesterday.  When 
I  walked  up  the  path  to  his  house, 
he  was  standing  outside.  It  was 
quite  an  effort  yesterday  for  me  to 
get  around,  but  when  he  took  my 
hand  and  thanked  me  for  coming 
and  said:  "I  am  grateful  to  you  for 
coming,"  I  then  realized  that  I  had 
known  that  man  approximately  sev- 
enty years.  He  has  been  one  of 
those  who  have  served  here  in  this 
tabernacle  as  an  usher,  all  these 
years.  He  has  not  received  the  dis- 
tinction, of  being  a  governor  of  a 
state,  or  city  councilman,  or  a  presi- 
dent of  a  university,  honors  that 
have  come  to  many,  but  I  stand  here 
to  say  that  when  the  roll  is  called 
of  those  whom  our  Heavenly  Fa- 
ther loves  for  their  patience,  for 
their  industry  and  willingness  to 
do  for  others  that  which  will  make 
them  happy,  men  like  Brother  Mar- 
getts  will  not  find  their  names  at 
the  bottom  of  the  list,  but  they  will 
find  their  names  inscribed  in  the 
Lamb's  Book  of  Life  with  the  as- 
surance of  eternal  happiness  in  the 
companionship  of  those  they  love 
and  have  associated  with. 

We  may  not  all  live  to  be  ninety 
years  young,  but  to  whatever  age 
we  live,  if  each  day  of  our  lives  we 
do  something  to  bless  others — to  use 
an  expression  of  the  Boy  Scouts — • 
if  we  do  our  daily  good  turn,  we 
will  continue  to  accumulate  peace, 
happiness,  love,  joy,  satisfaction, 
and  it  will  not  be  a  small  thing,  but 
it  will  be  a  great  joy  to  us  when  in 
the  kingdom  of  our  Heavenly  Fa- 
ther we  go  on  throughout  the  ages 
of  eternity. 

Our  Heavenly  Father  has  made 
it  plain  to  us  that  all  our  blessings 
are  predicated  upon  observance  of 
law.  If  we  want  to  be  happy  in  the 
celestial  kingdom,  we  must  observe 
the  laws  that  govern  that  kingdom. 
And  when  I  think  of  the  joy  these 
fine,  sweet  boys  and  girls  have  here 
on  earth,  and  see  them  growing  up 
day  by  day,  and  realize  that  they 
will  continue  to  grow  and  develop 
forever,  how  pleased  we  ought  to  be 


Every  man,  conducting  himself  as 
a  good  citizen,  and  being  account- 
able to  God  alone  for  his  religious 
opinions,  ought  to  be  protected  in 
worshiping  the  Deity  according  to 
the  dictates  of  his  own  conscience. 
— George  Washington. 


542 


to  manifest  to  every  one  of  them  the 
richness  of  righteousness  as  they 
observe  our  lives. 

My  happiness  in  the  Mutual  Im- 
provement organization  has  been 
very  great,  and  I  want  to  take  this 
occasion  to  thank  the  men  and  wom- 
en and  the  boys  and  the  girls  that 
I  have  associated  with  in  this  great 
organization  for  the  privileges  that 
have  been  mine.  This  is  a  part  of 
the  Lord's  Church.  It  is  only  one 
department  of  it,  but  a  very  impor- 
tant one,  and  those  who  are  called 
to  guide  it  in  the  general  boards  and 
in  the  stakes  and  wards  and  mis- 
sions, who  do  their  part,  will  not 
be  wasting  their  time,  but  they  will 
be  accumulating  for  their  own  satis- 
faction, to  be  enjoyed  forever,  the 
blessings  of  the  kingdom  of  heav- 
en. 

I  pray  that  the  Lord  may  bless 
these  officers  who  now  have  charge 
of  this  work.  I  am  so  glad  to  see 
quite  a  number  of  the  former  officers 
here  this  morning,  many  of  whom 
served  a  long  time.  There  is  one 
that  I  have  missed  this  morning,  and 
that  is  Sister  Ruth  May  Fox.  I  un- 
derstand that  she  is  not  able  to  be 
here  today  because  of  her  health. 

Sister  Fox  is  ninety-five  years 
young.  All  those  who  want  to  make 
her  happy  and  would  like  to  join 
with  me  in  sending  her  our  love  and 
blessings,  raise  your  right  hand. 
What  a  sea  of  hands!  The  Lord 
bless  you  as  he  has  blessed  her,  and 
as  he  has  blessed  many  others,  and 
I  pray  that  the  peace  that  comes  only 
from  our  Heavenly  Father,  may 
abide  with  us  continually,  and  that  we 
may  not  lose  our  opportunities,  that 
we  may  not  put  aside  the  privileges 
that  we  have  to  bless  our  Father's 
other  children,  but  knowing  that  we 
are  living  eternal  life,  that  each  of 
us  may  make  our  contribution  every 
day  to  make  this  world  happier  and 
brighter  and  prepare  it,  eventually, 
to  be  the  celestial  kingdom  of  our 
Lord.  When  that  time  comes  and 
when  the  Lamb's  Book  of  Life  is 
opened,  and  there  are  disclosed  there 
the  names  of  those  who  have  been 
true  and  faithful,  who  have  lived 
righteous  lives,  I  pray  that  we  may 
all  find  our  names  enrolled  there 
with  those  we  love,  not  one  missing, 
and  I  ask  for  that  blessing,  in  the 
name  of  Jesus  Christ,  our  Lord. 
Amen. 

THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


%U    Wontk   With 

CHURCH  PUBLICATIONS 

The  Instructor ... 

"p  lder  Joseph  F.  Merrill  of  the 
Council  of  the  Twelve  writes  to 
the  question,  Why  the  Sunday 
School  in  the  August  Instructor. 
Elder  Albert  E.  Bowen,  in  writing 
on  the  Sunday  School  career  of 
Elder  Stephen  L  Richards,  present 
adviser  to  the  Sunday  School  gener- 
al board,  gives  a  comprehensive  re- 
port of  Sunday  School  activities 
since  about  the  turn  of  the  century 
— the  career  of  Elder  Richards 
and  the  accomplishments  of  the 
general  board  being  so  strikingly 
parallel.  Dr.  Elfriede  Frederick 
Brown  presents  the  second  article 
of  the  series:  Food,  Nutrition, 
Health,  and  Efficiency.  J.  N.  Wash- 
burn, in  his  history  of  the  Sunday 
Schools,  writes  of  the  first  Sunday 
Schools  in  the  mission  fields. 

The  Children's  Friend . . . 

A  ugust  should  afford  a  gala  time 
for  the  youngsters  who  are 
lucky  enough  to  have  a  copy  of  The 
Children's  Friend  come  into  their 
homes,  for  it  abounds  in  clever  ani- 
mal and  circus  stories,  poetry,  and 
things  to  do,  such  as  games  and 
puzzles  and  coloring.  The  feature 
for  parents  was  prepared  by  Elder 
Marion  G.  Romney:  "Children 
Should  Be  Taught  the  Principles  of 
the  Gospel."  A  section  for  officers 
and  teachers  of  the  Primary  will 
prove  welcome. 

Ihe  Relief  Society  Magazine . . . 

HThe  Tasks  of  Modern  Citizenship 
by  G.  Homer  Durham  heads  the 
list  of  unusual  and  worth-while 
features  in  the  August  issue  of  the 
Relief  Society  Magazine.  President 
S.  Dilworth  Young  of  the  New 
England  States  Mission  tells  about 
Rugmaking  in  the  New  England 
Mission.  Fiction  includes  instal- 
ments of  two  serials:  The  Jumpher 
Family  by  Deone  R.  Sutherland  and 
Joanna  by  Margery  S.  Stewart,  in 
addition  to  Words  and  Music  by 
Bernice  Brown  and  Music  in  the 
Home   by   Norma   Wrathall. 

AUGUST  1949 


MORE 


Than 


Business  Training 


Besides  a  full  curriculum  of  business 
courses  and  business  education  the  L.D.S- 
Business  College  offers  you  these  many 
other  advantages: 


•  L.D.S.  Institute  of  Religion  with  Lambda  Delta  Sigma  activities. 

•  An  environment  of  inspiration  and  culture. 
0  Social  activities  and   new  friends. 

•  A  faculty  interested  in  young  people. 


For  further 
information 
write  .  .  . 


L.D.S. 


BUSINESS  COLLEGE 

70  North  Main         Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 


Jrin   Kyutstanding    flew   iuoon  on  [Prophecy  .  .  . 

PROPHECY  AND 
MODERN  TIMES 

By  W.  Cleon  Skousen,  L.L.B. 
With  Foreword  by  Ezra  Tart  Benson 

"This  formidable  collection  of  prophecies  is  dis- 
cussed plainly,  simply  and  carefully.  This  chal- 
lenging volume  will  be  of  interest  to  all  Latter-day 
Saint  readers." — John  A.  Widtsoe  in  the  Era  review. 


De  Luxe  Cloth  $2.50 


Leatherette  $1.75 


DESERET   BOOK  COMPANY 


44  East  South  Temple 


Salt  Lake  City  10,  Utah 


PROVED  ON  THE  WESTERN  RANGE 


AMERICA'S  FINEST 

OVERALL    .   Since  1850 


543 


OWL 


mimon 


"Speak  the  Speech" 

Two  words  that  are  of  common  usage- — and  both  good- 
are  sometimes  confused  by  speakers.  The  words  are  in' 
cident  and  instance.  Instance  means  to  cite  or  give  an  exam- 
ple. An  incident  is  an  event  or  an  occurrence. 

<s> 

McGill,  Nevada 
Dear  Marba  Josephson: 

Thanks  to  The  Improvement  Era  for  an  inspiring  writers' 
conference  and  thanks  to  you  for  your  contribution.  Your 
talk  will  be  a  big  help  to  me.  I  am  enclosing  the  poem  I 
read,  in  case  you  might  want  it  for  the  Era;  also  another  one* 
which  best  describes  my  state  of  utter  chaos  when  you  asked 
me  to  speak. 

I'm  ever  so  grateful. 

Thelma  Ireland 

*The  poem  is  printed  here: 

M.  C. 
By  Thelma  Ireland 

I'm  very  conversational. 
I  dearly  love  to  chat. 
I  always  think  of  things  to  say, 
No  matter  where  I'm  at. 
When  I  do  all  the  talking  I 
Will  hang  on  every  word. 
When  others  speak,  I  interrupt, 
But  I  just  must  be  heard. 
Oh,  I  can  give  the  best  advice; 
I'm   really   very  wise. 
The  conversation  is  worth  while 
When  I  monopolize. 
But  if  I'm  called  upon  to  talk, 
I'll  be  struck  mute  and  weak. 
The  only  way  to  shut  me  up — 
Is:    call  on  me  to  speak. 

North  Wilkesboro,  N.C. 
July  1,  1949 
Dear  Editors: 

Dr.  Wesley  P.  Lloyd,  in  his  articles,  "Your  Day  Is  Now," 
in  the  May   and  June   issues  of  the   Era,   has   done   a 
commendable  job  in  answering  many  of  the  problems  of  youth. 
The  Church  and  the  world  need  men  to  follow  his  lines  of 


ADDRESSES  OF  L.D.S.  SERVICEMEN'S  HOMES 

1104  24th  St.,  Cor.  24th  &  "C,"  San  Diego,  Calif. 

615  "F"  St.,  Marysville,  Calif. 

1594  So.  Beretania  St.,  Honolulu,  T.H. 


thought,  who  will  give  to  precious  youth  the  vital  spiritual 
food  they  need. 

Dr.  Lloyd's  approach  is  fresh,  scintillating — like  youth 
itself!  I  speak  for  us  all  in  saying  God  bless  him  and  the 
Era  family. 

Sincerely  your  brother, 

Elder  Richard  Bassetti 


-<$>- 


THE  LIGHT  TOUCH 

'My  doctor  tells  me  I  can't  play  golf." 
'So  he's  played  with  you,  too." 


^>- 


"It  was  so  cold  where  we  were,"  boasted  the  Arctic  ex- 
plorer, "that  the  candle  froze  and  we  couldn't  blow  it  out." 

"That's  nothing,"  said  his  rival.  "Where  we  were  the 
words  came  out  of  our  mouths  in  pieces  of  ice,  and  we  had 
to  fry  them  to  see  what  we  were  talking  about." 


-^- 


Horses!"  said  the  Yankee  to  the  Canadian.  "Guess  you 
can't  talk  to  me  about  horses.  I  once  had  an  old  mare  that 
licked  the  fastest  express  train  on  a  forty-mile  run." 

"That's  nothing!"  said  the  Canuck.  "I  was  out  about  fifty 
miles  from  my  house  on  my  farm  one  day  when  a  frightful 
storm  came  up.  I  turned  the  pony's  head  for  home,  and  do 
you  know,  he  raced  the  storm  so  close  for  the  last  ten  miles 
that  I  didn't  feel  a  drop,  while  my  dog,  only  ten  yards  behind, 
had  to  swim  the  whole  distance." 


-<S^ 


A  guide  in  Yellowstone  Park,  when  asked  why  he  was 
lacking  the  first  finger  of  his  right  hand,  answered: 

"I've  been  a  guide,  man  and  boy,  for  twenty-five  years,  and 
I  just  naturally  wore  that  finger  off  pointing  out  places  of 
interest  to  inquisitive  tourists." 


TWO  PARTICIPANTS  IN  JUNE  CONFERENCE 

The  theme  for  the  1949-50  season  of  M.I. A,  was  intro- 
duced by  Marilyn  Oliver  and  Frederick  Pingree  at  the 
Friday  morning  session  of  June  Conference,  June  17, 
1949.  In  the  photograph  Marilyn  is  shown  pinning  the 
theme  on  Frederick. 

(See  page  494  for  addresses  by  these  young  people.) 


— Photograph,  courtesy  "Salt  Lake  Tribune" 


544 


THE  IMPROVEMENT  ERA 


-     --         ,,.,....  v.. ..... ..        _ 


UTAH-IDAHO  SUGAR  COMPANY 


Nature's  Long-Range  Planning 


Scenes  like  this  in  romantic  Jackson  Hole  where  Mt.  Moran 
and  Jackson  Lake  bring  earth  and  sky  together  in  one  majestic 
masterpiece,  attest  the  wisdom  of  nature's  long-range  plan- 
ning. Man,  too,  must  plan  if  his  life  is  to  be  a  benediction  to 
those  who  follow  after. 


George  Albert  Smith,  Pre*. 


Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 


One  of  a  series  from 
beautiful  "Beneficialand'